Rising
by Terga Dare
Summary: Au fic set six years after Cell. What will happen when Gohan decides he is tired of hiding who he really is?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer-I own nothing!

Chapter 1

As the sun slowly crept over the treetops, a certain demi-saiyan sat bathed in the early morning light. Six years had passed since Cell's defeat; six years had passed since his father had died. As Gohan completed his habitual morning meditation, he could not help but look back on those years. After Goku had sacrificed himself, Gohan found it difficult to sit idly back while that buffoon Satan Hercule had taken credit for saving the world. It wasn't so much the credit, but the fact that Satan had bastardized the martial arts and the art of ki control. Satan insisted, repeatedly, that ki control was nothing but light tricks and mirrors. However, in an effort to ease the burden on his mother, Gohan let it slide.

Since the day Goku died, he had kept up with not only his studies to please his mother, but with his training for himself. Everyday Gohan would meditate, study for a couple of hours, then find his sensei Piccolo, and train. He knew it frustrated Vegeta that he preferred Piccolo to the mighty Saiyan Prince, but that was his problem. The bond he shared with Piccolo allowed him to relax in a way he couldn't with anyone else. He was no longer as naive or innocent; Cell and his own arrogance had stripped that from him. But other than his sensei, Gohan's family and friends seemed to expect him to be unchanged by the events of that day.

"Gohan! Breakfast is ready!" Chi-Chi called.

Sighing, Gohan unfolded from his lotus position and flew to the house. Today he entered a new hell, high school. For the life of him, he could not understand why his mother felt he needed to attend regular school. He had mastered the subject material on the entrance exams back when he was six! But apparently, he needed to socialize. Sighing again, he sat at the table.

Chi-Chi carefully examined Gohan as he ate his breakfast. She hardly recognized him from the happy go lucky child he had been. Now he was quiet and a bit somber, his onyx eyes held a maturity far beyond his years and it broke her heart. The little boy had grown into an imposing man. At 6' he towered over her, his black hair, much to her frustration, reached past his shoulders, and his body was layered with muscles from his years of training. Her baby had become a warrior.

She knew she should not be surprised; after all, just look at his father, but it wasn't the path she had chosen from him. After Goku had died, and finding she was pregnant with Goten, Gohan had taken it upon himself to become the ultimate defender. And regardless of how well he thought he hid it, she knew he still blamed himself for his father's death.

"Thanks Mom, that was great." Gohan said, rising from the table.

Chi-Chi shook herself from her musing. "Here is your lunch, and where are the clothes I laid out for you?"

Gohan shuddered. Those clothes, as she called them, were horrible. Orange pants, white button front shirt, and a black vest, no. Instead, he wore a pair of comfortable jeans and a long sleeved T-shirt. "Oh, those, well…. They weren't comfortable so I grabbed something else." Gohan said, as he darted for the door. It was the truth, for his own mental comfort, he could not handle those clothes. Leaping into the air Gohan flew off to Satan City and his first day in hell. The flight was relaxing, there is something so freeing in flying.

'_Hey kid, where are you going?'_ Piccolo asked across their telepathic bond. He had noticed Gohan's ki headed in a strange direction.

'_School, my mom feels I need to make friends and she find my social skills to be lacking. Where better to accomplish that than a place where I am not supposed to talk about my past or reveal too much about my capabilities.' _Came the slightly sarcastic reply across the bond. But he couldn't help it. How was he supposed to accomplish his mother's goal in an honest fashion with her stipulations, no ki control, no displays of strength, and no talking about his past to preserve privacy.

Gohan heard the rich baritone chuckle in his mind. Easy for Piccolo to laugh, he didn't have to spend his day trapped in a building with all of those people. Shrugging, he landed a few blocks over from the school. He did not intend to obey all of his mother's dictates, but freaking the population out by flying directly to the school might push it a little far. After spending most of his life pleasing someone else, the last few years had started to be about pleasing himself. He would not show off, but he was proud of what he had accomplished under Piccolo's tutelage and he would not disgrace his sensei by pretending to be weak. After a quick trip to the office, Gohan headed to his first class.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer- I own nothing

Chapter 2

"Alright class today we will-" the teacher, Mr. Hyack broke off at the knock on the door. The students all tried to see who was on the other side. "Today we have a new student. This is Son Gohan; he received perfect scores on his entrance exams. You all could learn something from him. That's your cue son."

Gohan walked into the classroom, his Saiyan hearing picking up words such as nerd, bookworm, dork, and surprisingly, once he was in the room, cute from the female population. Inwardly groaning Gohan faced the class.

"Tell us about yourself," the teacher instructed.

"Well, I grew up in the mountains; I enjoy meditation, and the martial arts." _There, that's not too revealing,_ he thought.

"Yeah right, Nerd Boy and martial arts!" A rather foolish looking blonde boy cracked. Gohan glared at him, his eyes losing what warmth they had, the blonde swallowed nervously, looking away. "Right then," the teacher spoke into the uncomfortable silence, "take a seat third row by Erasa."

"Oh right here cutie!" An overly bubbly blonde waved her hand at him. Walking up the stairs, he sat down. "Hi cutie! I'm Erasa, and that's Sharpener," gesturing to the annoying blonde boy, "and of course that's Videl." Gohan nodded to her and tried not to wince. Her voice was so high pitched, not to mention it couldn't be normal to be so perky. Meanwhile Erasa was dumbfounded, the new hottie wasn't excited to meet Videl, everyone was excited to meet Videl. Videl was also curious, not that she minded someone finally not fawning, but no response was just weird.

"Don't you know who Videl is?" Erasa asked, a puzzled expression marring her features.

Gohan looked at the girl in question, she was pretty enough pale skin, violet eyes, and black hair tied into pigtail, but for the life of him, he couldn't figure out what was so impressive. "No, should I?"

"Of course you should! She is the daughter of Satan Hercule, the savior of the world! How do you not know who she is?" Erasa was scandalized, Sharpener was mumbling something about it proving Gohan's status as a nerd, and Videl was rather insulted as Gohan started laughing.

"Ah, in that case you have my condolences," he chuckled. He rather felt sorry for anyone that had to put up with the Buffoon, as he liked to think of him.

"Ahem! Do you four think we could get back to class?" Grateful for the interruption, Gohan turned his attention to the front. That is until Erasa started whispering in his ear about the virtues of the great Hercule and the teacher droned on about material he had covered as a child. Wincing lightly, as even at a whisper, Erasa's voice as well as the subject, was grating on his nerves. Looking up he thought, _'Dende, I know I haven't made it up to the Lookout for a couple of weeks, and I am sorry, but please make her shut up before I lose it!'_

High above the Earth, the teen Kami laughed hearing the request. Not that he blamed his friend, even he was wincing slightly at the girl's chatter. Suddenly Erasa became obsessed with her makeup compact and fell silent.

'_Thank you!' _ Gohan sent up.

'_No problem my friend, but what are you doing?' _Dende asked. Gohan, with people, was just strange. Dende knew he preferred quiet, and often, solitary places.

'_I am improving my social skills. I've been told they need some work.' _ He responded wryly. Gohan knew he was lacking in that department, he just didn't care. It was too much effort to have to conceal everything that made him, well him, just to make a few teenagers happy.

Dende had to agree with him needing to improve in that department, but how putting Gohan in the middle of a group that could not possibly relate to him would be helpful, was more than he could fathom. _'Are you going to let people see the real you or pretend?' _

'_It has been requested of me to be normal, why?'_

'_I am not sure you should. It feels wrong that you should disregard everything that you are and have achieved just to fit in.'_

'_Okay, now you go have this conversation with my mother. Maybe if it comes directly from Kami she will listen."_

'_You know as well as I do that Earth will need a new Guardian if I do that!'_

Gohan was cut off from talking with Dende further as he was suddenly aware of Erasa poking him and the teacher glaring at him. "Well Mr. Son, since you do not feel the need to pay attention, perhaps you can answer the equation without my assistance?" Mr. Hyack looked rather livid. Shrugging, Gohan walked down to the board and looked at the calculus equation. Grabbing a piece of chalk, he quickly wrote out the answer, proving it three ways. Cocking an eyebrow at the teacher, he returned to his seat with a smirk.

Meanwhile Mr. Hyack looked a bit like a grounded fish. He really had not expected the boy to be able to answer the equation. Looking closely at the young man, he began to fire off equations in rapid succession, demanding Gohan answer each one. The rest of the class sat wide eyed as the new kid rambled off the complicated formulas looking rather bored with the experience.

Finally, the inquisition ended. The teacher merely turned and walked from the room. As one, the class turned to Gohan. Rather uncomfortable with the unanimous attention he shrugged, "What?"

"What do you mean what? You do realize that none of us has any idea what the two of you were talking about! What was that? How did you?" Videl spluttered.

"Oh, you'd have to meet my mother, she is a little, well, obsessed might be a good way to look at it. She had me studying this years ago." Gohan was saved from further questioning as Mr. Hyack returned, with several colleagues in tow.

One by one, they questioned him, and one by one, they left the room in shock. Finally, Gohan had had enough. "Is this what you do on everyone's first day?" He was thoroughly exasperated with the entire experience.

Mr. Hyack at least had the decency to blush. "No. No one else has had this particular….questioning. Just work quietly on your own for the remainder of your classes today. To be frank with you, I don't think you will find anything of interest or new in any subject. Though I am curious, why are you in high school Mr. Son? Based on your knowledge, a university seems more appropriate."

Fortunately, for Gohan, the bell rang, saving him from having to answer that his mom wanted him to make friends. Like that would go over well. The rest of day passed by in a blur of monotonous lectures and being glared at from one Satan Videl. Gohan wasn't exactly sure what her problem was, but it was getting tedious. Finally, he headed of to the last period of the day, gym. Though he wasn't holding his breath that he would actually get rid of some of his energy, at least he wasn't trapped in a desk.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer- I own nothing

Chapter 3

After changing into simple black gi pants and a loose long sleeved tee, Gohan joined the class, which was grouped around the principal. "As you all know, this being the home of the world's savior, the martial arts have become a fine tradition in our city. So this year, we have decided to teach the martial arts instead of having a traditional gym period." The principal had to wait a moment for the excited chatter to die down, Gohan merely snorted, home of the world's savior indeed! "So let me introduce you to your new sensei. He has competed in several WMATs, placing in the finals every time, Chestnut Krillin." With that, the principal left and in walked Krillin.

Videl couldn't believe it, this guy was famous! He might even be as good as her dad she was in heaven. Sharpener was even suitably impressed. After training in the Satan dojo the last 4 years, this was a master he had not only heard of, but also wanted to meet. Gohan just stood shaking his head, trying not to laugh. He knew 18 had been after Krillin to find a job so they could buy a house. Teach the martial arts was definitely a job Krillin was qualified for.

Krillin sighed. It had been a long day, but at least this was the last period. And to think he had months of this ahead of him, oh joy. So far, all of the students were so busy trying to emulate their hero Satan that they hadn't managed to learn anything. Sighing again, he began calling out the names on his list, not really paying attention until, "Son Gohan!" He looked up sharply. Gohan was just standing to the side smirking at him arms crossed, he had definitely been spending too much time around Piccolo. "Yo bro! What are you doing here?"

"I'll give you one guess." Came the sarcastic reply.

"What did she threaten you with the frying pan or no food?" Krillin was taking way too much pleasure in harassing his friend, but it had been a long day.

"Both." Krillin couldn't help it, he lost it. Gohan just scowled at him waiting for him to regain some control. The rest of the class was floored. How did the new guy know a martial arts master? He was a bookworm, it shouldn't be possible!

"Nerd Boy! How do you know one of the greatest martial artists?" Sharpener exclaimed.

Krillin tilted his head, looking at Sharpener, "Nerd Boy? Who is that?" Sharpener pointed to Gohan, Krillin could not help it, he lost it again. The strongest person in the world and probably their portion of the universe was being referred to as Nerd Boy, really? Taking a deep breath, he figured he had to have some fun with this. Looking at Gohan, he realized that with his clothes, you couldn't see the weapon he really was, Krillin decided to fix that little problem. "Let's get started everyone. This class has an advantage that my other classes are lacking. You happen to have one of the best martial artists you will ever meet in your class." Videl perked up, maybe she would get to help teach, working with such an experience master would be a dream come true. "Gohan come here, you are going to help me teach this class."

Shaking his head at Krillin, Gohan tried to figure what he was up too. The look on his face didn't bode well; it actually reminded him of the look Goten and Trunks tend to take on right before a massive prank. Meanwhile the rest of the class face planted. Sharpener recovered first.

"What are doing? Nerd Boy can't help; besides, everyone knows Videl is the best in the school, the only one better than her is her father!" The rest of the class nodded their heads, looking a bit like bobble heads. Krillin just shook his head; this was the same attitude in the rest of the classes. They had all been brainwashed into believing the lie.

"Care for a quick spar then?" Krillin offered Videl. "Knock Gohan out of the ring and you can help teach. If you cannot, the entire class will listen and learn. You have a very rare opportunity to learn from Gohan. He is one of only two masters on the entire planet in the Demon style." Krillin gestured to the ring, both teenagers entered, facing each other.

Videl was taken aback; he wasn't even in a stance! Didn't he understand who he was up against? Deciding to just end it and save him the embarrassment, Videl went in quickly for the knockout with her father's Megaton Punch. Gohan blocked it with a finger! No one even saw him move, but suddenly Videl was outside the ring. Gohan walked up to her and offered her a hand up. "Your stance needs work, it is not balanced, and your technique does not suit your build." If looks could kill, the world would be shy one half-breed.

Krillin just chuckled. This was going to be fun. After Videl rejoined the rest of the class, Gohan stood next to Krillin, not sure he really wanted to see what his father's friend had planned next. The gleam in his eyes was almost demonic. "Okay, as Gohan was just telling Videl, you must have a good stance. Your stance must be both balanced and versatile. It must also suit the person using it. We are going to work on stances first. I will show you mine and then Gohan will demonstrate his. Then we will work on finding a good stance for each of you."

With that, Krillin slid into his stance. There were murmurs of appreciation throughout the class. It was perfect. Krillin went on to explain how his stance was a combination of the three styles he had trained in. Videl was impressed; it was one of the most flawless stances she had ever seen. Krillin gestured for Gohan to take the center. Unfortunately, before he could begin, Krillin interrupted.

"Hey bro, do you have a regular gi top with you?"

"No," Gohan replied slowly, not quite liking the look of unholy glee in Krillin's eyes. "Why?"

"That shirt is too baggy to properly see the lines in your stance. Go ahead and take it off." Gohan looked at Krillin as if not really believing he would do that to him. "Come on bro, they can't learn if they can't see right?"

Heaving out a put upon sigh, Gohan stripped out of his shirt and tossed it to the side. He was about to begin again when he noticed the fact that his class was staring at him, again! "What?" He demanded, exasperated with the entire room.

"How did you…You're a nerd, you shouldn't…" Sharpener was for once unable to think of a suitable insult.

The rest of the class seemed to be in a state of shock. The guy they had deemed a nerd, a cute nerd, but a nerd none the less was ripped. Forget a six-pack; he had an eight pack, layers of muscles that screamed power, and scars, the kind that did not bear thinking about how they were formed. Being half-human, some of his more severe injuries from previous battles, such as the ones Cell had given him, had left those scars.

"Gohan," Erasa asked timidly, "what happened to you?" She was drooling along with the rest of girls, but he looked like he had been through a war. Gohan just shook his head, refusing to answer, and slid into his stance. Videl was once again impressed. His stance was perfect, completely balanced and perfectly defended; it was without a single weakness.

"As you can see, my stance is different from Krillin's. Mine draws from my base in Demon but incorporates the other styles I have mastered as well." Gohan lectured for a few moments on the finer points before Krillin divided the class. Anyone with over 7 years experience worked with Gohan, under 7 years worked with Krillin. By the end of the period, no one was complaining about learning from the new guy anymore. They couldn't keep up with him.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer- I own nothing

Chapter 4

Over the next few weeks, Gohan found himself settling into a new routine. He still meditated in the morning, then headed off to school, sparred with Piccolo for a couple of hours, had dinner, and afterwards, took the time to play with his little brother. Fortunately, since his little demonstration with the teachers, they had all found something else for him to do. After testing him out in every class, the teachers assigned random work they thought he might find interesting. When he was done with whatever they had come up with for the day, he would spend the remainder of his time "talking" with either Piccolo or Dende. Gohan was not sure what he would have done without them keeping him sane. He then ended his day gym. After Krillin's fun on the first day, he now wore his traditional gi. He was enjoying helping the advanced students; trying to teach them his most basic kata, but they were struggling with it.

Much to his surprise, he was actually making a few friends. Sharpener, when he was not showing off, was actually interesting. He had given up after their first gym class with the ridiculous Nerd Boy commentary and now referred to Gohan as Brains, but he meant it as a complement. Erasa, once Gohan adjusted to high-pitched quality of her voice, proved to be more intelligent than she let on. Turns out, she just preferred not making a big deal out of it. Videl rounded out the little group. She was highly suspicious of how Gohan knew as much as he did and managed to be so skilled in the martial arts, but she was also starting to respect him. Gohan had been pleasantly surprised by the fact that even though Videl tended to be rude and abrupt, at least she did not take after the Buffoon.

Settling into his desk, Gohan prepared to pass another day watching the clock, pleased that at least it was Friday and there was a two-week holiday starting Monday, celebrating Satan's victory over Cell. Mr. Hyack gained the class's attention. "Class, I am very excited to announce a very special event and trip. Everyone is to bring in either a parent or a parental figure, someone important to you that helped raise you. You will present your person to the rest of the class, talk about why they are important to you, if it is not a parent; you can explain how you met. Your person will also have the opportunity to introduce you to the class from their perspective. Then we will be leaving the school and first visiting Capsule Corporation. We will receive a tour from the famous Briefs Bulma, and we get to try out the latest Capsule product, a survival kit, for the second half of our trip. You all, with your parent or guardian, will be going on a special two week survival trip! You are to bring only some spare clothes, nothing else. I am going to pass out permission slips, we leave Monday, so be sure to bring them in."

Gohan groaned. There was no way in HFIL he was going to ask his mother to come on a survival trip with him. _'Piccolo?'_

'_What is it kid?'_

'_Care to go on a little trip with me?'_

'_What kind of trip?'_

'_The school kind. We are to bring someone that is important to us, helped to raise us, and then go to CC for a tour with Bulma, followed by a two-week survival trip. You are the only person I want to go with me.' _ Gohan held his breath. He did not want his apprehension leaking across their bond. That was not fair to Piccolo. But it was true, Piccolo was the only person he would want to spend two solid weeks with in the wild. He was his father, brother, and best friend rolled into one. The only one that never judged him and actually asked what he wanted, instead of telling him what was expected.

'_Fine, but I am not going soft kid, I just don't want to listen to you whine. You have to deal with the Banshee Woman on your own though.' _Gohan could feel the self-satisfied smirk that came with that comment. Convincing his mother that Piccolo was the perfect option was going to be interesting, but worth it. He had been thinking about Dende's comments since their conversation. He could play along with being a nerd for a little while for his mother, but he could not do it for the rest of his life. The strain of constantly watching every little thing was already getting to him. It was time to introduce the class to the real him. He wondered how they would take it. Pulling himself out of his thoughts, he listened to his friends chatter about whom they would bring.

"I am bringing my dad, there is no way my mom would step foot into the wild." Erasa said. "Are you bringing your dad Videl?"

Videl sighed, she really didn't want to bring him, but it was either him or her grandmother, and her grandmother couldn't handle a trip into the wild. "Yeah, I'll probably bring him. I just hope he does not go through his entire routine in front of everyone. What about you Sharpener?"

"My dad, we keep meaning to go camping together, but we never make it. This is as good a time as any to actually go. Hey Brains, are you dragging your dad out too?" Sharpener asked, looking over at him.

Gohan could not help the slight flinch. He knew most of his classmates would bring their fathers, but hearing that particular question was still painful. "No, my dad died several years ago. I'm going with my sensei."

His three friends looked at him in shock. They had not realized Gohan's dad was dead, but then again, they had never asked. "I'm so sorry Gohan," Erasa recovered her voice first, "we didn't realize. How did he die?"

Gohan once again flinched before his expression hardened, "Cell." His voice was flat, cold, and did not invite further comment.

"Who is your sensei Gohan? He has to be really good considering what you have us working on in gym." Videl was desperately trying to change the subject. After losing her mother, she knew how painful it could be to talk about it.

"That," Gohan smirked, "is a surprise. You are right though, he is very good. As long as you aren't too terrified of him, I'll introduce you."

Videl looked at him as though he had lost his mind. Why would they be terrified of him? But before she could press further, Mr. Hyack demanded the classes attention once more.

"Mom, I'm home!" Stepping inside their home, Gohan was considering the best way to approach his mother about the upcoming trip. She wanted him to be discreet, and a 7' green man was not discreet. He was sure an argument would ensue, probably no dinner, and he might have to face the fry pan, but it would be worth it, as long as she signed.

"Big Brother!" A blur of movement suddenly raced toward him. Used to his brother's antics, Gohan merely caught him and listened to him tell his big brother all about his day, without having to take a single breath.

"Gohan how was school today?" Chi-Chi asked from the kitchen. It never ceased to amaze him how she could whip up as much food as she did.

"It was interesting; we have a field trip on Monday." He was cautiously feeling his way through. "I have to bring in someone important to me that helped raise me, and then take that person on a two week survival trip."

"Okay, spit it out, because I know you don't want me coming with you." Chi-Chi was giving him a suspicious look, already reaching for the frying pan.

"I asked Piccolo."

"Ahhhh! That monster! He kidnapped my poor baby and corrupted him! Gohan how could you think about taking him? What will your friends say?"

Slowly pulling his hands away from his ears, he looked his mother over. He was upset, no that is too mildly for the feeling coursing through him. He was angry and well on his way to being truly pissed. "Do. Not. Talk. About. Him. Like. That." Chi-Chi looked at him slightly alarmed. His teeth were clenched and his eyes were teal even though his hair was still black. "That monster, as you call him, is my best friend and he has saved my life more times than you know. He died protecting me and you will not show him such disrespect." Though he was speaking quietly, the words held such a deathly chill that Chi-Chi was actually a bit afraid.

'_Kid calm down right now! I said you had to deal with her, not kill her!' _Piccolo's voice filled his mind. Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, Gohan took his friend's advice. Looking back at his mother, his eyes were once again onyx, though not exactly calm. "I am sorry mom; I should not have lost my temper. Just this once, I need you to respect my decision, and my feelings on the matter."

Taking a deep breath herself, Chi-Chi walked over to oldest son and took the form from his hand. After signing it, she hugged him. "Okay, just be careful. After your friends meet Piccolo, they will never look at you the same way again."

"I know," he sighed, "but they will see who I am, which is good enough for me."


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer- I own nothing

Chapter 5

The weekend flew by. Gohan tossed on his favorite gi, pretty much what he wore to the Cell Games, but with a dark blue short sleeved undershirt, grabbed a couple of spare gis, and ran out the door. He flew to Piccolo's waterfall. Landing, he saw his sensei in his traditional lotus position, floating in midair garbed in his tradition violet gi, white cape, and turban. Gohan found it comforting how steadfast and sturdy his friend was, not much else in his life was.

"Ready Piccolo?" Gohan called.

Piccolo growled slightly. Truth be told, he was rather pleased the kid asked him. Before Gohan, he had had no one. He lived in complete isolation with nothing to keep him company except his hate. After that year spent training the boy, his isolation was not as appealing, his hate no longer a driving force. The kid had made him soft. Not that he had any intention of anyone else realizing how easily he bent to Gohan's wants.

Even he was slightly shocked how deep their friendship ran. Piccolo remembered the moment their bond developed into what it was now, in that dark time after Cell. He could hear Gohan's thoughts feel his emotions. In turn, Gohan had the same window into his soul, able to feel and hear everything. It had driven him insane in the beginning. Gohan had had no control, leaking every thought and emotion into his head. Since he had learned control, both could retain privacy when desired. Or, as they were wont to do during meditation, open up and let go to someone that completely understood the other and held no judgments. It also made them a deadly team in a fight, always knowing exactly what the other planned to do and perfectly coordinating their attacks.

Since Gohan had started attending school, they had had precious little time together. The two had just enough time after school for a quick spare, but not enough for a true meditation session. Piccolo found himself missing that aspect of their friendship; it not only kept Gohan balanced, but made Piccolo feel complete. Two weeks in the wild, no school cutting in to their training time, no Banshee Woman, Piccolo was definitely pleased Gohan had asked.

"Piccolo?" Gohan called again. Growling once more, Piccolo unfolded from his meditative pose and cocked a brow ridge at Gohan. Chuckling, Gohan leapt into the air and the two flew toward the city.

"I figured we would get in a little late. We will make an entrance into the classroom, but you will not have to deal with the crowded hallways." Piccolo grunted in response, agreeing with Gohan's plan, him in a crowd was not a good idea. "Though I may have forgotten, or conveniently skipped the fact that I have to introduce you to the class." Piccolo just glared at him this time. Gohan shrugged at him; at least he did not fly back to his waterfall.

Landing outside the school, the two headed in only to be greeted by the first scream, of the day. The secretary was looking at Piccolo as though a fiend from hell was standing in the office. Gohan just shook his head while Piccolo smirked; he still had it. "May I have a pass to class please? I was running a bit late today." The secretary stuttered at him, shakily handing him a piece of paper.

The welcome to class was not much better. Gohan knock before entering. Mr. Hyack was pleased to see him. "Gohan, you made it. Where is your parent?"

Gohan stepped in with Piccolo following behind. As one, his class let out a screech. "Do, you have to do that!" Gohan demanded, holding his hands over his ears.

"Mr. Son, who is that?" Mr. Hyack was pale and visibly shaking.

"Oh, this is Daimou Piccolo, Jr. my sensei and guest for this trip." Gohan was doing his best not to laugh at the horrified look on everyone's faces. _'You are enjoying this aren't you?'_ Piccolo asked. _'Yeah, I really am. Do you know how hard it has been trying to be normal for the past few weeks? If I don't concentrate on every movement, I break something or draw even more attention to myself. Besides, I am not normal, and proud of it.'_

"W-we-well," poor Mr. Hyack could not quit stuttering. This was the Demon King after all, in his classroom; the bogeyman incarnate. "Since you are the last to present, why don't you introduce your guest to the class?"

"Sure, as I said, this is Daimou Piccolo, my sensei since I was four. I met Piccolo a long time ago, the first time I was kidnapped-"

"Wait, the first time, you were kidnapped more than once!" Videl interrupted in shock. Though now she could understand why Gohan had felt they might be terrified of his sensei.

"Yes, the first time, and yes, I have been kidnapped more than once. Now as I was-"

"Why were you kidnapped at all!" This time the interruption had come from Erasa.

"The first and the second time were because of my father and the third-" He couldn't believe it, someone interrupted again!

"Wait, who was your father? Why would you be kidnapped because of him? And there was a third time!" This one was from Videl again.

By this time, Piccolo was losing his patience. "Is this what you put up with all day?" He asked Gohan, gesturing to the class. "Yes." Gohan replied, rather fed up with everyone's reaction. "I could just send them into the next dimension and then there would be no more interruptions." Piccolo offered. Gohan could see the mirth in Piccolo's eyes; he was enjoying himself. More than that, he could feel Piccolo's sadistic amusement through their bond. He knew the rest of class did not realize the Demon King was only kidding or that the Demon King possessed a sense of humor in the first place. Looking at the faces in front of him, Gohan pretended to consider the offer. "The idea has merit, but maybe we won't need to go that far." Gohan was at this point struggling to keep a straight face. His class looked horrified and Piccolo's laughter was echoing through his mind.

"Okay, let's try this again. My father's name was Son Goku," miracle of miracles, no one interrupted him this time. "As some of you might know, he was a gifted martial artist, taking second place in two tournaments and first in the last WMAT he participated in against none other than Piccolo. The first time I met Piccolo, was the first time I was taken from my home. There was a man named Garlic Jr., he had plans to dominate the world and figured the best way to go about it was to eliminate the strongest fighters. He took me in an effort to draw my father out. Piccolo and my father defeated him and he was imprisoned. The second time I met Piccolo was about a year later, when I was four. My uncle caused Piccolo a bit of….trouble. After irritating Piccolo," Gohan heard Piccolo's snort at his description, "he hunted my father down, demanded something of him, and took me as collateral. Again, my father and Piccolo teamed up, my uncle never made it to a prison." The class was staring slack jawed at Gohan. They had gotten used to him the last few weeks, accepting that he was not only brilliant, but also a gifted fighter. It never occurred to any of them that there might be more to him than just that.

Taking a breath, Gohan continued. "The third time I was kidnapped happened the same day. That time, Piccolo kidnapped me himself. He was rather disgusted with the fact that I had not had any training as of yet and decided to rectify the situation himself. It was the best thing that ever happened to me. He dumped me in the middle of nowhere with the clothes on my back and a sword. He told me that if I could survive six months on my own then I would be worthy of his training. I not only made it through those six months, but then the next six months of extreme training. We rose at dawn and sparred until after the sun went down, sleeping out under the stars at night. Even after I returned home, I still trained with Piccolo daily. He became a second father and my best friend, the first friend I ever made."

Gohan stepped back and looked at Mr. Hyack. Jumping slightly his teacher motioned to Piccolo. "Do you want to take a moment and talk about why Gohan is important to you sir?" Mr. Hyack must be calming down, he wasn't stuttering as badly.

Piccolo growled baring his fangs, which made the entire class flinch and cower. "My reasons are my own, Gohan knows them and that is enough. However, you should thank him. It is only because of him that I decided not to follow in my sire's footsteps and kill as many of you as possible." Gohan crossed his arms and snorted at Piccolo. He never changes.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer- I own nothing

Chapter 6

The class finally filed out toward the bus. The entire group was giving Gohan and Piccolo a wide berth. Piccolo took one look at the bus and shook his head at Gohan in a definite refusal to be in such a small space. "I'll meet you at CC." Piccolo rose into the sky and flew off much to the amazement of those present.

Once on the bus, Videl slid in next to Gohan. "Gohan!" Videl started in. "You never said you trained under the Demon King Piccolo! Or your father being Son Goku, not to mention that you were kidnapped!"

"When did anyone ask me about my family or what my training entailed? Think about it, Krillin told you I was a master of the Demon style. Whose style did you think it was? Hey," Gohan was ready to change the subject. Videl was not too bad once you got to know her, but her version of friendly questions, was the equivalent to interrogation to the rest of the world. "Did your dad back out? I didn't see him."

Videl let out a huff, Gohan was right; none of them had bothered to ask him anything beyond the superficial. Thinking of her father, Videl just rolled her eyes. "My dad will be meeting us right before we leave for the survival site." She lowered her voice to a whisper. "I am supposed to say that he had a meeting he couldn't postpone, but truthfully, he is not allowed inside Capsule Corporation."

Gohan could not help it he cracked up. He knew why the Buffoon was banned from the property, not only did he lie about Cell, but also he had actually been stupid enough to hit on Bulma. No one did that and walked away unscathed with Vegeta around. The rest of the drive was peaceful. Most people were chatting with their parents, Gohan and Videl talked about the old WMATs. After exiting the bus, Piccolo floated down to stand next to Gohan. There was an immediate 10' gap between them and the rest of the group.

"Do you feel that?" Piccolo asked.

"Yeah, the Demon Duo is headed our way." No sooner had the words left his mouth when Gohan was tackled by the evil Duo.

"Gohan!" "Big Brother!" Trunks and Goten shouted at the same time. "Save us!"

The rest of class had their now familiar slack-jawed expression, staring at him again. "What did you two do this time?" He could feel Vegeta's ki headed for them and he was pissed.

"Well, we kinda broke the GR. But it was an accident, I swear!" Goten babbled, panicking. You did not mess with Vegeta's GR; it was as bad as touching his food.

"BRATS!" Vegeta roared. Trunks and Goten hid more fully behind Gohan, trying to delay the inevitable. Vegeta suddenly noticed the large group in his yard. "What are you baka humans doing here? Leave before I blast you! Fine! Final Fl-"

"Yo, Vegeta! Your mate invited the baka humans. Where is she anyway?" Gohan called out, trying to distract the prince from actually blasting the group into the next dimension.

"Kakabrat, Namek, what are you doing here? Never mind, spar, now!" Vegeta demanded, dismissing the lower life forms from his mind.

"Sorry, I don't have time for you right now, but these two," he held up one chibi in each hand, "would love a spar. Wouldn't you boys?" They merely whimpered, Vegeta on the other hand displayed a feral grin and took the boys off Gohan's hands.

"You have been around me for far too long." Piccolo stated. Not that he minded Gohan sacrificing the pair, the last time he was around the Duo they had attempted to dye his cape pink. He was all for them getting a little quality Vegeta time in.

"Gohan!" Videl shrieked. Gohan and Piccolo winced, why did the female population in the school insist on reaching decibels designed to destroy superior hearing? "Do you know who that was? That man has been voted the most dangerous man on Earth 6 years in a row!"

"Yeah, Vegeta was very pleased about that too. Relax Videl, Trunks is his son, and the other one is my kid brother. Vegeta is just going to tire them out before their afternoon nap."

'_Nap? They won't be napping they'll be unconscious. There is a difference.' _Piccolo snorted quietly.

'_Oh, you mean you weren't letting me get a nap in all those years ago?' _Came Gohan's cheeky reply.

Videl just looked at him in horror. "You know that man and you turned your brother over to him?" Then suddenly she looked at him a bit more closely. "How do you know-"

"Welcome to Capsule Corporation everyone! I am Briefs Bulma and I will... Gohan!" Bulma walked over and gave him a hug. "I was hoping you would be able to make it, after all they will be trying your new product out! Piccolo, it's good to see you." Piccolo graced her with a very slight nod. Dealing with most people, even within the Z-gang was not high on his oh goodie list.

"You know Briefs Bulma!" Again the class turned to him. Gohan was getting tired of the constant shock. Surely, it would get better as the day went on right?

"Of course he knows me! He is my godson after all." With that, Bulma led them into the domed building. Piccolo chose to sit outside and meditate. After leading the group through the building, they came to the invention room. Bulma explained the newest CC survival product to them. "As you all probably know, Gohan lives in the 439 mountain area." After a few more gasps of surprise, Bulma continued. "I take it then you never asked where he lived, anyway, he lives in a very remote area. Several months ago, he approached me about creating a more inclusive survival package. Gohan, do you want to explain?"

"Sure Bulma. I tend to find a handful of lost hikers every year on our property. The problem is none of them ever seem to have the proper survival gear or even basic rations. Having to haul each one of them to the nearest village for medical attention does tend to get old. The excuses are always the same, not wanting to carry several capsules or a large backpack or they lost their capsules. Bulma and I have put together everything a person would need to survive in the wilderness for two weeks into a single capsule. It has water, emergency rations, shelter, a first aid kit, and a few other necessities. Its design is a little different as well. Each capsule is incredibly light, and has been formed into a wristband. This makes it easy to carry and harder to lose."

Bulma stepped forward to take over. "We are very excited about Gohan's kit. Exposure and a lack of proper nutrients is quite dangerous in the wild, one of these kits could save someone's life. Now, you all are our test group. You will get to try a kit out firsthand and give feedback on your experience. So everyone please come forward and take a band, then it's time for you to enjoy the rest of your trip." Once Bulma had given everyone a kit, she gave an extra one to Videl for her father, she gestured for Gohan to lead the group out. Gohan once again found himself the center of attention.

Everyone seemed to asking him questions, including the parents. One question in particular had him laughing. "Gohan, you didn't take a kit! Do you need to go back and grab one?" This came from Erasa, to which the entire group immediately nodded and tried to head back! "Erasa," Gohan laughed, "think about it, I don't need one. I designed them for people that do not know how to survive. I lived in the wilderness for a year as a child. I still meet up with Piccolo when I can and do the same thing and have for years!" Erasa blinked at him, she had not thought about it like that.

"Gohan, are you sure you don't want one, just in case?" asked Videl, concerned.

"I'm fine; just make sure to hold on to yours, you will need it." With that, Gohan motioned for the group to head outside. Turning to the teacher, Gohan asked, "Where are we headed?"

"That is a surprise Mr. Son. I can tell you that it is a 3-hour ride from here. CC was kind enough to donate the use of a jet large enough for everyone to fit."

"With all due respect Mr. Hyack, do you want to ride for 3 hours, in a small space, with an irritated Daimou Piccolo?"

Mr. Hyack paled he had not considered that. "We are headed to the 379 area desert." Pulling out a pad, he quickly wrote down the coordinates for Gohan.

"Thanks, we will meet you there okay." Gohan gave his teacher a jaunty salute and headed over to Piccolo. There was no way he was going to sit crammed in with those people for 3 hours. They had yet to quit gaping at him. It would take all of 15 minutes for him and Piccolo to fly there and then, blessed quiet. Mr. Hyack watched one of his favorite students make his way to the demon. For the life of him, he could not figure out how such a nice, quiet boy looked up to Daimou.

"Hey, Piccolo, I have the coordinates for the campsite so as soon as the group leaves, we can fly out in peace!" Piccolo grunted an acknowledgement. He could feel how frustrated Gohan was. The constant questions and press of people all morning had eaten away at what patience the kid possessed. The last few weeks had been especially hard on him with a lack of proper training and meditation time. As the two watched the group file into the jet, a limousine pulled up.

"I am the great savior of the world, Satan Hercule!" Flashy a double victory sign the Buffoon himself jumped out of the vehicle. The rest of the group was overcome with excitement. Piccolo and Gohan tried to restrain themselves, the urge to shut him up was nearly overpowering. Videl just looked like she wanted to disappear.

"Another good reason not to ride with everyone else," Gohan growled. The Buffoon had no idea how fortunate he was in Gohan's restraint. Finally, with much ado and fanfare, the jet took off.

"Ready?" Piccolo nodded and they took off.

"Where are we going anyway?" Piccolo inquired.

Gohan laughed, "Our desert, where you first trained me. Who decided that was a good location for a high school field trip must never have actually visited."

Piccolo snorted. He did not see a problem with it; he liked the desert. It was where he had first learned the joys of having a friend. To him, it was a special place, like his waterfall. Though he supposed for that obnoxious group, it would be hell on Earth.

Gohan felt Piccolo's sudden amusement. Looking sharply at him, he raised a brow in question. "The Buffoon has to survive in our backyard." Piccolo grinned in feral pleasure. Now Gohan understood and sent his own approval and glee back at him. In tandem, they landed in their desert.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer- I own nothing

Chapter 7

As one, Gohan and Piccolo turned and faced one another. They had at least two and a half hours before their solitude would be interrupted, which should be just enough time for a quick spar. Shedding his cape and turban Piccolo powered up to his maximum. Since defeating Cell, Gohan's power had increased dramatically. Piccolo had been training Gohan in his base form lately. By increasing his strength at his base, it made each level more powerful. He could now not only control his seemingly endless supply of energy at will, but had found a level beyond SS2. Unfortunately, the amount of power released at that level was not only draining, but also caused earthquakes for miles around. Gohan had been trying to alter how he reached that point in order to take advantage of the power without all the drawbacks. He was getting closer.

As the two titans of power clashed, the echoes of their battle boomed across the barren landscape. Quickly splitting into tri form, Piccolo surrounded Gohan, trying to find an opening. He had to admit, the kid had definitely improved. Where he used to be a completely opportunistic fighter, he now utilized strategy. He considered his opponent, instead of merely waiting for an opening. It was a vast improvement. Piccolo's momentary lapse in attention gave Gohan just enough time to wipe out Piccolo's extra forms with a quick masenko blast. After being slammed back into a single being, Piccolo went back on the attack. They were so wrapped up in their fight; they forgot why they were even in the desert and soon had a captive audience.

"Videl, do you see what I see?" Sharpener was rapidly blinking staring at the two fighters in the sky.

"I see it, but how? They are moving so fast I cannot really follow their movements." Videl answered weakly.

"Now that's the kind of fighting you used to see at the tournaments!" Erasa's father, Mr. Rubber proclaimed. The group just looked at him, dazed from the display. "What, haven't you ever heard of Krillin, Chiaotzu, Tien, Yamcha the Bandit, Master Roshi? They were the great fighters back in the day. That boy said his father was Son Goku. He was the greatest. The fights they would have back then, the tournament ring would be in shambles. In fact the entire ring was destroyed in the fight between Piccolo Junior and Son Goku."

"It's all just tricks!" shouted Hercule nervously. "They are just using lights and mirrors and stuff. Just like that trickster Cell!" For once, no one quite believed him.

"Oi Gohan! Are you coming down?" Gohan looked down, his concentration broken for a split second. Piccolo moved in and using both fists sent Gohan careening to the ground. The impact caused a crater to form underneath him. Glaring up at Piccolo, he sent the thought _'Gee, thanks!' _up to his smirking friend. It was not often that Piccolo got to do that anymore and it pleased him to no end to have the opportunity arise. _'Don't mention it kid, but it looks like playtime is over.' _With that, Piccolo descended and stood by the crater waiting for Gohan to get up.

"Gohan!" Looking over, it seemed like the entire class was screaming at him. Hadn't they seen a spar before? "What?" he asked, lightly leaping out of his rocky hollow to stand by his sensei. No one seemed to have an answer for him. Instead, they were looking at the state of disrepair both men were in. Their gis were in tatters and both were covered in cuts, burns, and abrasions. But neither one seemed to be affected by their injuries.

"Mr. Son! What happened here?" Mr. Hyack demanded.

Shaking his head at the group's apparent lack of wits, he decided to take it slow. "A spar, we were passing the time."

"That was a spar!" That one came from Videl, she saw spars everyday at her father's dojo, but no one looked like that afterwards. She was looking at Gohan as though he had grown an extra head.

"Yes," he answered carefully, "a spar. Don't you practice that way?" The now excessively familiar look of shock covered her face. Shaking his head at them again, he turned back to his teacher. "I take it you all are going to set up camp?" He received a nod, "Okay then, we're just going to go and get cleaned up then. Be back soon." Giving Piccolo an exasperated look, the two took to the sky and headed for a nearby stream to bathe.

'_Piccolo?'_

'_What kid?'_

'_Did I remember to thank you for coming with me? I am not sure my sanity would survive if I had to deal with them alone.' _He conveyed his feeling of frustration to Piccolo as he continued, _'For once Vegeta is right though, baka humans!'_

Chuckling to himself, Piccolo examined his friend. He had feared for Gohan's sanity when Goku first died. Not only was he just a child when it happened, but he had blamed himself as well. In his drive to prevent anyone else from ever having to suffer from what Gohan perceived as his own shortcomings, he trained himself mercilessly. He hardly slept, ate infrequently, and drove himself into the ground. That was when Piccolo had stepped in, he was going to lose the only person he ever had ever cared about, but no one else seemed to see how much Gohan was suffering. He insisted and actually had to force Gohan to stop training for a moment. When he stopped moving, Gohan finally broke down.

That was the first day the two started what was now their normal meditation together. By letting down all of the barriers, having someone complete accept him, and being able to feel it through his entire being, Gohan had started to heal. He still had moments, when it all got to be too much; when the stress of being the father figure to his brother, the perfect student for his mother, and the ever-vigilant warrior for the Earth would fray the edges of his control. It looked like they were heading for one of those times; acerbated by the additional stress of the last few weeks.

They had finished washing away the blood and sweat from their spar; Piccolo had zapped a new gi for each of them. _'Kid, you need a full meditation tonight.' _Gohan looked over at his oldest friend; he knew what Piccolo meant by that. Piccolo just stared back, a brow ridge raised in challenge. Gohan sighed; Piccolo could always see when he was ready snap, usually days before it happened. His daily meditation helped, but it was when he worked in tandem with Piccolo, opening everything that he was, that soothed his soul. He loved it, but always felt like he was taking advantage somehow.

'_I heard that!' _Gohan flushed guiltily. He had not meant for that to leak to Piccolo. Sighing at his younger companion, Piccolo sent the feelings he received from those sessions across their bond, Gohan's eyes widening as he felt them, they mirrored his own. It was rare for Piccolo to share like that, he had always viewed emotional displays as a weakness. The fact he was willing to share with him showed just was how much Gohan had changed him. Having someone that he shared such a deep connection to was something the Namek treasured. Of course that did not mean anyone else needed to know, but Gohan did.

Nodding to his sensei, Gohan took a cleansing breath. They still had to check in with the rest of the group, he needed to hunt something down for dinner, and they needed to make their own camp. Gohan was personally voting just to ignore the group, but he also knew what would happen if his mother found out. Realizing how close he was to simply flying away rather than dealing with his responsibilities startled him. As usual, Piccolo had been right on target in assessing his mental state.

'_I heard that too kid!' _Piccolo allowed himself a rare shared grin as they moved to rejoin the group.

'_Please tell me I am not seeing what I think I am!' _Gohan could not believe the idiocy of the group. They had set up camp in the middle of a game trail. From their vantage point, he could see fresh T-Rex tracks, as well as the tracks from several different herbivores. _'If they stay there, they will literally get eaten alive.'_

'_Well, you said it earlier kid, baka humans.' _Grimacing at the task ahead, they landed and started searching out the teacher.

"Mr. Hyack!" Gohan had found him congratulating the Buffoon on selecting such a wonderful spot.

"Ah, Mr. Son, glad to see you are okay, had me worried for a moment. What do you think? Your kits have been working perfectly so far." The man seemed so pleased with himself it was frightening.

"You need to have everyone pack up now. Then the entire group needs to move over at least half a mile to the west." Gohan felt rather proud of himself, he had managed not growl at the man.

"Look here little man, I am the champion of the world and I personally picked the best location for everyone. Now I realize that you think people need to listen to you because you use all of those fake tricks, but I know better, haha!" The loud grating voice of Hercule attracted several of the adults.

"What's going on Mr. Hyack?" Sharpener's father, Mr. Pencil asked, "Is there a problem with the campsite?"

"Yes," Gohan stated.

"No there isn't!" shouted Hercule.

"Son, care to explain?" Mr. Hyack was getting nervous. He remembered watching those old tournaments, and regardless of Mr. Satan's insistence at it all being tricks and mirrors, he had no intention of upsetting someone that demonstrated that kind of power. As well as the fact, that Gohan was incredibly intelligent.

"You bakas set up in the middle of a game trail. There are fresh T-Rex tracks not a hundred yards away. Do you realize what that will mean when the sun goes down? You are all going to be either trampled or eaten!" By now, Gohan was shouting at them. "If you do not wish to feed your students to the dinosaurs you will move the group now! Take everyone one half mile to the west, there is a safe enclosure and it is close to a fresh water source."

Half way through Gohan's shouted explanation most of the students had already packed their shelters back into their capsules and were ready to move. By the end of it, the parents had theirs ready to go as well. The one thing they had definitely learned about Son Gohan since he started school, he never gave a wrong answer. The teachers had tried, repeatedly, to find one thing he did not know in the subject material, had not happened yet. This young man was also so experienced in survival that even CC was utilizing his knowledge. If he said it was dangerous, no one was willing to bet their lives against him. Muttering, Hercule was drug away by Videl to pack up.

"We're ready Gohan!" Videl shouted, "Lead the way!"

"Do you want to lead, or watch the back for stragglers?" Gohan asked Piccolo.

Baring his fangs at the group, Piccolo considered his options. "I'll lead. Then, when they can't keep up, they are your problem."

"You heard him people! You will follow Piccolo, you will stay together in your pairs, you will not separate or try to go your own way. If you do, you are on your own when the sun goes down. Which I might add will happen in about an hour. Now move it!" At Gohan's order, everyone began following Piccolo's brisk pace. Several teens screamed when a dinosaur roared not far away. The great savior grabbed Videl's hand and tried to stay as close to Piccolo as possible. Shaking his head at the man's cowardice, Gohan concentrating on keep everyone together.

Half a mile does not sound like much but add in rough terrain and inexperienced hikers, and you have an hour-long ordeal. It was getting dark when they finally reached the enclosed valley Gohan had chosen for them. Piccolo flew away; he needed to set up their campsite. Gohan searched out the teacher, leaving the rest of them to set their shelters up.

"Mr. Hyack, please tell me you have survival experience." Gohan had a feeling he really did not want to hear the answer. He was tired, hungry, and on edge. All he really wanted to do was go find his dinner and settle in for the night.

"Um, no…but Mr. Satan is here and he said he knows all about this stuff because he defeated Cell!"

Groaning, Gohan looked at his teacher, the man that was responsible for at least 50 people between the students and the adults "Did you send anyone earlier to hunt or fish? Did you collect firewood for cooking, light, and warmth?" Judging by the uncomfortable look on his face, he was willing to bet no. He turned back to group that had gathered around them.

"Alright folks, you are in a safe place now, but you did not plan ahead for your night." Gohan addressed the group at large. He was not going to fix this for them tonight. Tomorrow he would make sure they collect firewood and did a little hunting but for tonight, they would deal with the consequences of their inaction. "No one collected firewood, so it will be cold and very dark. No one hunted or foraged, so you will have to use some of your emergency rations rather than having a hot meal. Stay together and do not wander off. Most of the predators come out at night; if you wish to see the dawn you will stay in this valley." Gohan turned to leave.

"Wait! You aren't leaving are you?" This came from the Buffoon himself. Incredulous, Gohan looked back at him. "Well, it's just that you seem to know a bit about this whole camping thing and….." He trailed off. Videl looked slightly alarmed that Gohan was leaving but she could not understand why her father was acting so, spineless. Several of the other parents were also distressed at the possibility of Gohan abandoning them for the night. He was the only one in the group that seemed to know what he was doing.

"Really an hour ago you were calling me a fake and a trickster. Now you want me to stay?" Gohan had had enough; the Buffoon had officially pushed his last button. "I thought the man that defeated Cell wouldn't be afraid of a little dark and a couple of carnos." His voice was cold, harsh with suppressed violence. Hercule tried to assume his victory pose at the mention of Cell, but the action was destroyed by his own squeal of terror when another roar echoed into the valley. "Nothing to say Mr. Savior? What a pity." The other adults present were confused by their champion's behavior.

Piccolo's head snapped around. Gohan's power was rising rapidly, if he did not calm down soon, the world would know who at least one of the Gold Fighters was. Flying back to the main camp, he immediately understood the problem. Satan was whimpering and trying to convince Gohan to protect him from the things that go bump in the night. The last time Gohan protected the Buffoon was the day that Goku died. Satan had repaid that debt by insulting nearly everyone and everything Gohan holds dear.

Landing beside him, Piccolo grabbed his arm. _'Gohan, you can't kill him.'_

'_I could just maim him.'_

'_No, you would not be able to handle it come morning and you know it. Now, go find something to eat, I'll finish getting the humans settled.' _Piccolo forcefully shoved Gohan in the direction he wanted him to go and away from the Buffoon. Turning back to his audience, he growled at them. "You heard the kid, he said go to bed and stay there until morning. We will come find you in the morning and then if you are very fortunate, the kid might even show you how to survive so you make it out of here alive."

The parents quickly grabbed their reluctant teens and tucked them in for the night. Hercule tried to run away as well, unfortunately for him, Piccolo was faster. "Not you. You will tell your offspring to go to bed; then you and me are going to have a little chat."

Hercule looked at Piccolo in abject terror and turned to Videl who was watching everything with her usual suspicion, she had never seen her father behave like this. "Y-you heard the man Sweet Pea, just head on to bed and tomorrow we'll go fishing or something." Shooing his daughter off in a falsely cheerful voice, Satan prayed he would still be alive in the morning to go fishing. Grabbing the Buffoon by the back of his shirt, Piccolo flew off to find somewhere a little more private for their conversation.


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer- I own nothing

Chapter 8

Tossing the lying coward down, Piccolo loomed over him and spoke with absolute calm. "Now, you are going to look at me and think very hard. Where have you seen me before Satan?" Hercule looked confused for a moment then the color drained from his face. "Figured it out did you?" At Satan's nod, Piccolo continued, "Now think about who was with me that day, who stood by my side. I'm sure it will come to you." Piccolo knew the moment it did. He had thought Satan was already without color, he was wrong. The Buffoon went dead white, soiled himself, and then fainted.

Wrinkling his nose in disgust, Piccolo smacked him, waking him up. Hercule moaned in fear. "He's the Delivery Boy! I am in the middle of nowhere with the Delivery Boy and I insulted him!" By now, he was wailing in terror. Piccolo smacked him again, this time to silence him.

"I am going to give you some advice. If you value your continued existence, you will not speak to him unless spoken to first, you will not touch him, and you will never speak of tricks, light shows, or the Cell Games ever again. His father died while you cowered behind the rocks. Understand this; the next time you decide to anger the most powerful being on this planet, I will not stop him. You have no idea how close you were to Otherworld today." With that, Piccolo grabbed the Buffoon by the back of his shirt once again and dumped him back at camp. He needed to find Gohan.

Flying back to their campsite, Piccolo was relieved to see Gohan already there finishing his dinner. Without looking up from his dinner he asked, "What did you do? I felt something, but you were too well blocked for me to get a clear picture."

Smirking at his friend, Piccolo replayed the encounter, sending it into Gohan's mind. His response was gratifying, as he began laughing uncontrollably at the mighty savior wetting himself as the ramifications of his actions set in. "Oh, I wish I could have been there!" he chortled. Piccolo let him have his fun. Truth be told, it had felt fantastic putting the fear of Kami into the Buffoon. As soon as Gohan finished his dinner, he settled in front of Piccolo, mirroring his lotus position. Even if he did not sleep tonight, he desperately needed to find his calm. Today was only the first day, there were still thirteen to go.

Piccolo cleared his mind, allowing Gohan into the calm center. Likewise, Gohan let down his mental barriers, allowing Piccolo unrestricted access. For a time the two companions merely drifted in the thoughts and emotions of the other, soothing the rough edges of the last few weeks. Seeing the events of day through Piccolo's eyes, Gohan could clearly see why the Buffoon's behavior had so angered him.

'_I didn't even think about the correlation between his cowering tonight with his actions at the Cell Games.' _Gohan mused lazily_._

'_Well what did you think got you so riled kid?'_

'_Don't ask me, all I saw was red. It seems like it is all I can do lately not to punch someone, Piccolo and that is with at least a short meditation every morning. I could have knocked the Buffoon through a canyon wall tonight without a thought to how weak he is!'_

Feeling Gohan's sharp regret at his lack of self-control, Piccolo guided Gohan to his own feelings of concern and understanding. He could perfectly understand what had happened. The Banshee Woman had condemned Gohan to spending his days trapped in that school. By her own request, she had forced him to suppress as much of his natural energy as possible. The woman had also prevented him from having enough time to release all of his pent up energy by keeping him at home over the weekends watching his brother. Not to mention the effects that had on his mental and emotional wellbeing.

Gohan snickered, _'Do you realize that even in your mind, my mother is firmly labeled as The Banshee Woman?'_

'_Yes, and there is a reason for that. Besides, you and I both know I will always be That Monster to her.'_

'_And here I thought you were at least getting used to one another!'_

'_Sure kid and they serve cake and ice cream in HFIL every afternoon too.' _Piccolo's special brand of sarcastic humor soothed the last bit of Gohan's guilt_. 'Are you talking to her or will I be forced to kidnap you again?'_

'_Hn?'_

'_You can't keep going like this or you will snap; it's a simple fact. So are you going to explain it to the Banshee or do I just need to take you again?'_

'_Somehow I do not think that would exactly endear you to her, but you're right, something has to give. If I am this on edge after only a few weeks…I have months of this ahead of me Piccolo!'_

'_I think for the remainder of this little trip, we should meditate together daily. Afterwards, at least convince that woman to let you stay with me over the weekends. It's not a perfect solution, but better than what she had you doing.'_

Gohan hummed in agreement, his relief washing over Piccolo. They drifted along in complete harmony, each relishing the time until Piccolo became aware of the fatigue dragging at Gohan's energy.

"Go to sleep kid." Piccolo's voice was no more than a low rumble in the quiet night. Nodding his agreement Gohan unfolded from his meditative pose and stretched out beside the fire. Tomorrow was going to be a long day. Kami help him, it looked as though he actually had to teach all of those people to survive! He snorted at the realization that his mother was getting her wish, he was going to socialize.


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: Hi all, I just wanted to take a moment to thank hellfiresaiyan, LaryfeSurLeSora, Tomaka167, RKF22, jsoon500, TyrantKing000, Wicked Lovely 17, and TheGodfather93 for their reviews. I never expected my little story to be that well received as this is just my personal form of stress relief. Your support is truly appreciated. Thank you again. Okay, off to today's installment.

Disclaimer- I own nothing

Chapter 9

Gohan awoke just before the dawn. Piccolo was still in his meditative pose as it was rare for him to actually sleep, and was hovering about a foot off the ground. The fire beside him had long since burned out. Gohan stretched for a moment before mirroring Piccolo's pose once more. He turned to the east, watching the first rays of the new day creep over the mountains. Enjoying the warmth of the new day, he thought back to their training time before the Saiyans arrived.

He had never truly appreciated the majesty of the sunrise before his time in the wilderness. Truthfully, his mother never allowed him out of the house that early. Her baby might have caught a cold! Waking up to the sky painted and the world glowing with life had filled him with the determination to succeed, no matter how powerful his enemies were. Once he began training with Piccolo, he had noticed his friend giving the sunset similar attention. Piccolo was entranced with the purple and red streaks mingling across the sky. It made him feel less isolated. Piccolo had taught him to appreciate the falling of dusk, just as Gohan had shared the wonders of the dawn.

"Hey kid!" Piccolo shouted, echoing the call within Gohan's mind. Gohan started, he had been so lost within his own memories he had not even noticed Piccolo trying to gain his attention.

"Sorry sensei." Piccolo grunted at him, at least the kid had the decency to sound sheepish about it.

"Are you ready to see how the others are faring this morning, Gohan?"

"Not quite. Can you provide me with a sword again Piccolo, please? I did not bring mine since it was a school trip. I am feeling nice enough to go hunt down something for everyone's breakfast. Somehow I think ki blasting it maybe a little more than they can handle." He said wryly. Nodding his agreement, Piccolo zapped a long bladed sword and scabbard onto Gohan's back. "Thanks! Now if it isn't pushing it too badly, can you please go check on the others? If they get start moving about, maybe sending them out to gather some firewood and tell them to dig a pit for cooking?"

Gohan was right, that was pushing it. Growling lightly, he pushed off and went to go keep watch over the others. Gohan grinned at Piccolo's back. He doubted anyone in the camp would truly appreciate how fortunate they were in having Piccolo stand watch. Secure in the knowledge that no one would wander off; he went in search of his breakfast and something big enough to feed everyone else.

Piccolo sneered down at the campsite. Why anyone felt the need to huddle inside one of the small, domed shelters instead of enjoying the space of the outdoors was beyond him. But then again, he had never lived inside anywhere except the occasional time of staying with the Sons before the androids arrived. Shrugging the thought away, he noticed a few people were finally starting to stir and emerge from their beds.

He was not looking forward to organizing the motley group, but at least he could turn them over to the kid as soon as he got back. He was a little surprised by the depth of apathy he had for the task. _'Maybe the Banshee Woman is right, Gohan has to be able to deal with people at least on some level.'_ Piccolo mused to himself. That thought was followed immediately by the horrified realization that he had actually agreed with the Banshee on something! Gohan's hysterical laughter filled his mind. In his horror, he had forgotten to shield.

'_Does that mean there's ice cream in HFIL today?' _His mirth caused Piccolo to grit his teeth.

'_Shut up kid!' _Gohan chuckled again before fading from his mind. Cheeky brat! Might as well get it over with, he thought, unfolding from his customary lotus position landing in the middle of the camp.

Mr. Hyack was the first to notice the newest addition. Swallowing his nerves, he walked up to Piccolo and bowed slightly, "Good morning Mr. Daimou, did-"

Piccolo cut him off, "Spare me the pleasantries," he sneered. Piccolo was starting to attract the attention of the group, with several wandering over to see what he had in mind for them. Except Satan, who upon seeing Piccolo had let out a high-pitched noise and darted back into his shelter, much to Piccolo's amusement. "Gohan decided to take pity on you all and is off hunting. He should be back soon with enough for everyone to have a hot breakfast. You are to send some of the group out for firewood. A large fire pit needs to be dug and lined with rocks."

Mr. Hyack just stood there, unsure how to accomplish the tasks before him. It did not help that he found Piccolo to be quite intimidating. Piccolo growled in disgust at the man before him, the noise reverberating in his chest. Dismissing the baka as useless, he turned to the other adults, growling out orders. After making sure that everyone was working, he reached into Satan's shelter and pulled him out; tossing him in the direction of the soon to be fire pit. For once, the Buffoon would put his muscles to use.

After an hour, the camp was a little more organized. Piccolo noticed Gohan flying towards them, loaded down by his burden. His mother would have had a fit about him openly flying in front of the group. However, since they had already witnessed an aerial spar, at this point, what harm could it do? He walked over to Gohan, ready to hand the humans over to him.

Videl was still having a hard time processing what she was seeing. Gohan had flown into the camp carrying a small dinosaur and several packets that looked to be made out of large leaves. But the key word was flying! Added to that, her father, well she wasn't sure what to make of his behavior. He seemed to fear both Gohan and Piccolo. This did not make any sense since he had defeated Cell. Why was the most powerful man alive afraid of a teenage boy?

Videl was not the only one that had noticed not only Hercule's strange behavior, but also Gohan's entrance. Several parents were beginning to have serious misgivings on whether or not those explosions and the flying during the Cell Games had been tricks.

'_About time you made it back kid.'_

'_Sorry 'bout that Piccolo, I wanted to grab some fruit as well and then ran across that herb you showed me once, the one that makes a decent tea. Have they been behaving for you?'_

'_Yeah, but the Buffoon tried to hide in his shelter. I had to drag him out to put him to work. He actually dug most of that pit.'_

'_Wow, he was actually useful for once! Can you do one more thing for me before you head off to meditate please?'_

'_Now what?'_

'_I have too many mouths to feed to cook all this on skewers, can you zap a metal grate, something large enough to be used a grill? Please?'_

Piccolo sighed; he really did not want to zap, as Gohan insisted on calling it, a grill. But he also knew that it would help ease Gohan's burden, he had so many relying on him right now; so much for a relaxing trip. Concentrating, a glow appeared above the fire pit and a large metal grate settled into place.

'_Thank you!' _Gohan's relief and gratitude washed over him, convincing him that helping the group had been worth it. Tilting his head in a farewell, Piccolo took to the sky; he had to get away from the noise.

"Gohan!" Looking up from his work Gohan saw Sharpener, Erasa, Videl, and Mr. Hyack headed toward him. Waving an acknowledgement to them, Gohan finished sorting his bundles.

"Hey cutie, do need some help?" Gohan chuckled to himself, even before breakfast, Erasa was as bubbly as ever.

"Actually yes, some help would be nice. I need these bundles of fruit washed, and after I butcher the meat, some volunteers to man the grill. I still need to find something to use as a kettle as well to heat some water. Then everyone can have a cup of tea with breakfast."

Mr. Hyack perked up at the mention of tea; he was missing his morning cup. Bolstered by the thought of breakfast, Mr. Hyack drew teens' attention. "Videl, Erasa, why don't you two take the fruit down to the stream and wash it." Nodding, the girls grabbed their bundles and headed off. "Sharpener, would please round about half a dozen adults to help with the grill?"

"Sure teach!" Sharpener jogged off on his mission.

"Uh, Gohan? How do we light the fire?" Mr. Hyack was worried about that little detail; he had never had to light a campfire before.

"Oh, no problem sir." Pulling the dinosaur over to the pit with him, Gohan fired a quick ki blast into the wood, fast enough that the teacher had been unable to see what he had done. As the fire was now under control, Gohan drew his sword and considered how best to divide the meat.

"Mr. Son!" Mr. Hyack shouted, "Where did you get that?"

"Piccolo gave it to me this morning." He said calmly, as he started to make the first cut.

"But you have a weapon on a school trip!"

Sighing, Gohan turned back to the man. He had really hoped to be done before his freshly recruited cooks arrived, but his teacher apparently was not done talking yet. "Sir, no offense, but how exactly would you propose I bring down an animal big enough to feed this group without a weapon? I am fully trained in its use and if I intended to harm anyone, why would I bother with all of this?"

Thank Kami, apparently, that was an acceptable explanation. Mr. Hyack was now just standing back quietly, giving him a considering look. Unfortunately, his cooks had arrived and he was not ready. Turning to back to his task, Gohan used his blade with deadly precision and then tossed the neat portions on the grill for the others to watch.

"Okay guys," he addressed the men that were in charge of the grill, "I will be right back, I just need one more thing. Use some of the longer sticks to flip the meat as needed. Hey Sharpener?"

"Yeah Brains?"

"Can you head around and let everyone know they need to come this way? Have them bring their plates and cups, each kit has one of each." Sharpener nodded, jogging back into the main camp. He had never pictured Brains as an accomplished survivalist, but he was definitely grateful for it.

Gohan took off and went to wash up, downstream from the girls. While there, he grabbed a large rock and hollowed it out carefully with a few well-aimed ki blasts. Washing it out as well as possible, he filled his new kettle with water and heated it just below the boiling with his ki. He knew if he left the water to boil on its own over the fire, it would be at least an hour before anyone got a cup of tea. Trying not to spill, he flew back to the pit and placed the kettle on the grill.

Sighing in satisfaction, Gohan stood back and watched the group work together. The men surrounding the grill apparently took their duty very seriously as all of the meat was being well tended. Videl and Erasa had been joined by a couple others and seemed to be done washing the fruit; they were on their way back to camp. The rest of the group was clearing a large area, probably for everyone to sit down together for the meal. Even the Buffoon was working, placing rocks in a large circle for seating. Gohan smirked sadistically, noting that the Buffoon looked horrible, as though he had not slept the night before.

Mr. Hyack, who had been watching him since their earlier conversation, walked over to Gohan, "May I have a word with you please?" Gohan followed the teacher to a quiet area, away from the main group. He was just hoping that the sword issue was not about to be revived.

Mr. Hyack took a deep breath, his unease apparent. "We have a problem Gohan. The satellite phone I have does not work out here. We have no way to contact anyone and our transport is not due back for days. As I told you, I have no survival training. I was just supposed to be the chaperone for this trip. The school had arranged for someone to come with us but…."

"But what? Who is the assigned survival instructor?" Gohan wanted to have a chat with whoever that was; they had been severely negligent in their duties so far.

Mr. Hyack pursed his lips, he was not happy about the situation either. "Mr. Satan volunteered for that, but informed me this morning that there must have been a miscommunication as he has never received any survival training either. I asked around this morning, talking with the parents. Other than the odd camping trip, you and Piccolo are the only ones present with any of the necessary training. I need you, and Piccolo if he is willing, to take over. I realize that I am asking a lot of you Gohan, but you have demonstrated that you are more than capable, the way you took charge last night and your skills this morning."

Gohan narrowed his eyes, considering his lack of options. Teach them and have the group return to the city in good health, or let them flounder about on their own and get eaten by the local wildlife, some choice. Piccolo had already figured last night that the two of them would be stuck babysitting. This just confirmed it. Sighing, Gohan nodded his consent. Mr. Hyack seemed to sag in relief; this trip had not gone according to plan yet.

Gohan held up his hand before the man could get too excited. "If we are going to do this, everyone does as they are told, no matter what. Moving the camp last night is a perfect example, we wasted time arguing about it. That could have gotten someone hurt or killed. That cannot happen again."

"Of course! I am handing over full authority to you and Piccolo. I will still chaperone and help with whatever you need, but you two will run be running the show. It will be up to you what the group does each day."

So much for their quiet trip, he knew it had been too good to be true. "Alright Mr. Hyack, breakfast should be about ready. Let's head back and fill the rest of the group in."


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer- I own nothing

Chapter 10

Gohan looked over the group of people he had just taken responsibility for. He had never had to direct such a large group. He figured the best way to go about it would be to treat them like the Demon Duo, firm and direct. It was just a shame that he could not use the threat of violence as well.

Everyone was lining up for their morning meal. At Gohan's instructions, each person received a portion of dinosaur meat, a piece of fruit, and a cup full of hot water with a strange herb sprinkled in; once their plates and cups were full they all headed over to the clearing to eat. Once everyone had settled in with their food, Gohan walked into the center of the group.

"Alright everyone, due to a slight miscommunication, we do not have a survival instructor with us." Gohan had to wait a moment for the concerned whispers to die down, holding up a hand for silence, he continued. "Mr. Hyack approached me earlier and asked Piccolo and I to take over that roll; we agreed." Gohan once again had to wait for the noise to die down. This time, it seemed to be a general state of relief. Piccolo and Gohan had already proven themselves; no one had a problem with them being in charge. "I have a couple requests to make before we get started. One, no one refers to Piccolo as a demon or a monster. He deserves your respect and everyone will give it to him. Two, whatever one of us says, goes. You can ask questions, but you must comply. I do not want to anyone's safety compromise because someone chooses to be stubborn. Is everyone clear on the rules?"

Looking around, everyone but the Buffoon, who was doing his best to disappear, met his eyes and nodded eagerly. "Okay then, time for your first lesson of the day. I hope everyone is enjoying their morning tea." Most of them nodded, though a few wrinkled their noses at the odd flavor. "The herb in it is one Piccolo showed me as a child. Most teas have a diuretic effect, meaning they will actually dehydrate you. That herb actually helps prevent dehydration, making it a valuable tool in this environment." Suddenly those who hadn't been drinking their tea picked theirs back up. Smirking slightly, he asked, "Any questions before we get started today?"

"What are we doing today?" Someone called out.

"For the next few days, you will all be learning how to forage for and recognize edible plants, as well as learning to hunt and fish. I will show you how to build a trap and your kit actually has simple fishing gear. This is the only meal that will be provided for you. If you do not find it or catch from now on, you will be stuck with rations." Several groans filled the air after that remark. Rations may be nutritious, but real food was more satisfying.

"Hey, are you that kid?" Mr. Pencil, Sharpener's father, asked suddenly. "You know the one that fought-"

Hercule paled and started babbling, "No! No one said he was the kid from the Cell Games! Why would you think that? He's just a….." Trailing off Hercule realized he had gained everyone's attention, including Gohan who looked pissed. His eyes flashed teal as he glared at the Buffoon. Hercule whimpered, hoping Gohan did not decide to kill him. Videl just glanced between the two, confused.

"I was asking about the kid that fought along side Piccolo, what was it, maybe ten years ago, when those two aliens blew up a city." Mr. Pencil said slowly, looking at Gohan closely. "But come to think of it, Piccolo was seen at the Cell Games, with what looked to be the same boy, the only difference was his hair was blonde instead of black."

"Gohan, you did say that you've been with Piccolo since you were little right?" Erasa asked, sitting up straighter. "The scars, oh, Gohan that's where you got all of those scars!"

His classmates knew exactly what Erasa was talking about. That first gym class, when Coach Krillin had made Gohan take off his shirt, his torso had been littered with battle scars. Some of the parents realized as well, having heard about it after school from their kids.

"Holy crap Brains, you're the Delivery Boy!" Sharpener shouted.

During the conversation, Hercule had gone from whimpers to moans, waiting for Gohan to send him to the next dimension. Videl could not understand what the problem was. According to her father, none of it had been real, just tricks, so why was he so terrified of Gohan?

Growling, Gohan decided to leave before he lost his temper. All the Buffoon had needed to do was sit quietly, apparently that had been too difficult. Turning to Mr. Hyack, Gohan said stiffly, "I am leaving for a while to go cool down. There are enough leftovers for lunch. Have everyone clean up and pack their dishes away so they don't lose them. I will be back later." Blasting off without waiting for a response, Gohan went in search of Piccolo; he needed a spar.

"Dad! What is going on? Was he there, at the Games? You have not been acting normal all morning; you are almost acting as though you are afraid of Gohan." Videl was almost shrieking her questions. Something was definitely wrong with the entire picture and she wanted answers, now.

"I think we all love to hear what you have to say Mr. Satan." Videl turned, she couldn't place who had spoken; but the entire group was focused on Satan.

Hercule was trying to get out of the hole he had just dug for himself. He was so tired that he had panicked and damned himself in an instant. As he opened his mouth, hoping whatever came out would save him, an unearthly scream filled the air, followed by a blinding light in the distance, and then the very ground began to tremble violently. Unbeknownst to the group, Gohan was powering up. Screaming himself, Hercule flung himself to the ground, babbling about it being just like the Cell Games and that the Delivery Boy was going to kill him for taking his credit.

Videl was horrified, she was certain her father was unaware he was even speaking, he was so terrified, but they all heard him. The so-called savior of the world had been lying to them for years, stealing the credit from a child no less! A sudden flash of golden light caught Videl's attention. Looking up she saw one of the Gold Fighters head toward the light in the distance. Pointing to him, the rest of the group followed her gaze. Shaken, the teenagers actually turned to their parents for comfort.

Looking a little worse for wear, Piccolo landed directly in front of Satan. Vegeta had just taken an incredibly pissed Gohan off his hands and now he wanted answers. Lifting the Buffoon up by his shirtfront, shaking him, Piccolo growled, "What. Did. You. Do!"

"I'm sorry Mr. Demon King sir! I panicked, and I know you told me not to speak, but I-I-I said he was the Delivery Boy! Please don't kill me!" Hercule was babbling incoherently as the full gravity of the situation hit him. Flinging him away in disgust, Piccolo turned to the rest of the group. Pointing to the teacher, he demanded an explanation.

"I'm not sure. One of the parents thought he recognized Mr. Son from when those aliens blew up a city. Then Mr. Satan was talking about Cell and the Delivery Boy….. What is going on?" The teacher was not the only one looking rather shell-shocked. Mr. Rubber was holding Videl and Erasa; even the tough guys were standing as close to their fathers as possible. The ground was still trembling and excess energy continued to rip through the valley. It did not feel as though Gohan was even close to being done yet.

Sighing, Piccolo considered is options. Judging by how fatigued Vegeta's energy already felt, there was no way the Saiyan Prince was actually going to tire Gohan out. That meant he was still going to have, at best, a semi-enraged demi-saiyan on his hands, surrounded by gaping humans demanding answers. Piccolo groaned quietly in frustration. All he had wanted was the time to enjoy his friend. Neither one wanted anything to do with the attention that would be directed towards them the rest of the trip. It was bad enough being in charge of them, but with the bombshell the Buffoon had let slip, it was going to be a long two weeks.

"Piccolo!" Looking up, Piccolo saw Krillin flying toward him. "What happened? Gohan's energy went through the roof! Even the Kame House is shaking!" Rather than wasting time explaining, Piccolo laid a hand on Krillin's head and transferred the information to him, showing him everything that had happened in the last 24 hours. Krillin inhaled sharply. When Gohan was happy, he was a joy to be around, but when he was pissed, he was terrifying. Beating the source of his anger into the ground until he felt they had sufficiently paid.

"Here," Piccolo reached in to a small pouch tied to his waist and pulled out a sensu bean, "take this to Vegeta; if we are lucky he might be up for round two. Gohan has not powered up to his maximum yet, make sure Vegeta understands that. Get back here as soon as you can, I need you to take that," he gestured to the unconscious heap that was the Buffoon, "to the city before Gohan returns." Blanching, Krillin blasted off as quickly as he could. Returning a scant minute later, he grabbed Hercule, taking him as far away from Gohan as possible.

Turning back to the cowering group, Piccolo curled into his customary floating lotus position. Piccolo growled in anger, he was unused to explaining anything to anyone but Gohan, but he did not want the kid to have to deal with this when he returned. "This does not leave this valley." His voice was harsh, forced through clenched teeth. Cocking a brow ridge, he waited for a moment, no one moved, no one protested. "Yes, Gohan and I were there when the aliens landed and yes, as that idiot blurted out, he is also the Delivery Boy from the Cell Games." Pausing for a moment, Piccolo wondered how much he should share.

"Piccolo?" Videl had to know, "Gohan told us Cell killed his father, can you tell us what happened?"

"Cell almost blew the planet apart during the fight. The only reason Gohan had a chance to finish Cell off was because Goku sacrificed himself, preventing the explosion."

"What was my dad really doing, during the fight I mean?"

"Your father was hiding behind the rocks." Gohan said coldly. The group looked up and gasped in shock. There stood Gohan; his shirt was long gone and blood ran freely from the multiple cuts and abrasions decorating his body. What really unnerved them was the unconscious and battered Vegeta tossed over his shoulder. Dismissing her for the moment, he turned to his sensei, "Do you have any more sensu beans Piccolo?" Rising, Piccolo force-fed one to Vegeta. Scowling at them, a newly healed Vegeta blasted back to CC. Muttering about surpassing Kakabrat.

Piccolo handed Gohan the last bean. He noted with relief that the kid just looked drained at this point. After eating his bean, Gohan looked over the group. His loss of temper and control had obviously terrified them and that was unacceptable. Erasa was silently weeping and Videl looked as though her world had ended which in a sense, it had. Scrubbing his face with his hands, Gohan mimicked Piccolo's favorite mid-air pose, finding comfort in the familiar position.

"I apologize," Gohan said quietly. "I lost my temper, but that is no excuse for scaring you all." Looking up with a haggard expression, his eyes shadowed with old pain, he continued, "No one is to know about this, no one. Satan can have the credit, the fame, the attention; I do not want it. I took nine lives that day; the seven Cell Juniors, Cell, and because I did not finish Cell off quickly, my own father. Why anyone would chose to celebrate that…." He trailed off for a moment collecting his thoughts. "My little brother never had the chance to meet dad, I denied him that right. But I will make sure he does not have my childhood. He has never had to fight, he has never been beaten within an inch of his life, and he has never had to take a life. If the world finds out what really happened, his life will never be the same."

"You know bro, no one blames you for your dad, even he didn't." Krillin said softly, he had returned from dropping Satan off in the city halfway through Gohan's talk.

Shaking himself Gohan turned to his father's oldest friend. "Hey Krillin, what are you doing here?" He was very obviously ready to change the subject and move on.

"Well, since your group is down one adult, I though I might join you. Why don't you and Piccolo head out for a while? I will keep an eye on everyone and get them started on that first lesson. I might not know as much as you two, but we'll manage just fine." Nodding his thanks, Gohan and Piccolo took to the skies. Krillin sighed, that kid just never seemed to catch a break.

"Coach Krillin?" Videl had come to stand in front of him. "shouldn't you take me back as well? I don't think Gohan will want to have to deal with me." Frankly, she could not figure out how Gohan had ever stood to be around her at all.

"You really don't him at all do you Videl?" Krillin said sadly. "Consider who is with Gohan right now; his best friend, Piccolo. Now think about what you know of Piccolo's sire, the original Demon King. He murdered thousands during his reign, taking pleasure in every life he stole. If Gohan does not hold a grudge against Piccolo for that, and I might add that he never has, do you really think he would hold your father's lies against you?" Videl seemed to relax as she processed that. She recalled his first rule; he had demanded that everyone show Piccolo respect. "Tell you what, since your father had to leave early, how about you partner up with me for the rest of the trip, okay?"

Videl smiled, desperately relieved and trying her best not to cry, "Thanks Coach."

"I still have a question," Mr. Hyack piped up. "I asked Mr. Son on his first day, but he never answered me, and now I am even more curious. He is leaps and bounds ahead of anyone his age I have ever met in maturity and knowledge. He is, to be blunt, a genius. What is he doing in high school?" Several of the students nodded, they had been wondering the same thing ever since the now infamous Inquisition on his first day.

Krillin laughed bitterly, he could not help it. "Well, I assume Gohan told you he was taken away at the age of four to begin his training? What he probably didn't tell you is that he was then forced to fight for his life at five. We all forced him to fight again and again, against monsters you wouldn't believe. He has literally saved the world multiple times over. When the rest of us weren't shoving him into life or death situations, his mother had him studying. She expected him to master algebra at the age of five. We have all been treating him like an adult since he was four; think about that, his childhood ended at the age of four. Recently it occurred to his mother that Gohan has never been around normal people, never made friends with anyone his own age. In an effort to correct that, she sent him to school with the demand that he fit in and learn to socialize."

Krillin felt an enormous amount of guilt for his part in Gohan's childhood. It had never occurred to him what an impact the constant fighting and stress would have on Gohan. For the most part, he had forgotten all about his age. Gohan was just part of the gang. Having Marron had changed his outlook. If anyone even considered trying to force his little girl into a life like Gohan's, he would kill them.

Mr. Hyack nodded, feeling vaguely nauseous. He had felt there was more to Gohan than what met the eye, but he never expected the sheer depth of suffering the boy had obviously gone through. He turned to face all of his companions. The students were either dazed or in tears; the parents he noted, seemed to be coming around. "Well I for one am grateful to that boy. Now, I believe we should honor his wishes; we owe him that at the very least. Please refrain from asking him further questions; it has to be painful for him. Coach, are you ready to give us our first survival lesson?"

Krillin nodded, grateful to them all for their acceptance and willingness to put the morning behind them. He knew none of them would ever look at Gohan the same way again, but at least they would hold their silence. Striving to resume his usual good humor Krillin asked, "Alright, who wants to learn how to build a trap?"


	11. Chapter 11

A/N-Thank you again to everyone who reviewed or just enjoyed the story.

LatyfeSurLeSora- to answer at least part of your question, I do not have any romance planned for the near future. As to the rest, you'll have to wait and see.

Disclaimer- I own nothing

Chapter 11

Gohan hovered in quiet meditation by Piccolo's waterfall. The two had decided to put some distance between them and the events of the morning. Gohan was ashamed; he had completely lost control. He had flown away to find Piccolo, to purge his anger with a spar when Vegeta had shown up. Normally he was able to ignore the Prince's taunts, but his control had already been in tatters. Being reminded of his first true battle and his last had evoked images of Piccolo, Yamcha, Tien, Chiaotzu, Krillin, and his father, beaten, in pain, and dieing. All it took to finish pushing him over the edge was his father's name and he lost it.

He could hardly remember what happened next. Everything was a blur of pain, rage, light, and heat. There was a vague memory of knocking Vegeta out; he had not noticed Krillin arriving with a sensu bean to revive him. He had decided that since he had no partner, he would just power up to the third level, hoping it would burn away the rage and leave him blessedly empty. Vegeta hit him just as he completed the transformation; the man probably never saw what hit him.

Thankfully, the energy consuming transformation had exhausted him. Coming back to down to earth, the sight of Vegeta crumpled against the rocks had sickened him. Picking him up, he had headed to Piccolo, hoping he still had at least one more sensu. If he knew Vegeta, he was currently in his GR, trying to reach and surpass his level. He had been itching to fight Gohan at his full power, knowing he was always holding back; Vegeta had finally gotten his wish.

All he had expected from this trip was for his classmates to see a fraction of his real life. He had hoped it would make school less stressful, allowing him a little more wiggle room in his actions. He had not intended to share the entire story. He had always known that someday the truth would come out. You cannot expect something of that magnitude to stay buried forever, he had just been ill prepared for it to happen today.

When they had arrived at the waterfall, Piccolo had firmly linked up with him, pulling him away from the dark memories, not allowing him to dwell. Piccolo had always been there, saving him time and again. Piccolo had physically pulled him out of harm's way more times than he could recall growing up. After Cell, Gohan had spiraled into what he called the darkness, a place in his mind where every bad experience lived. Piccolo had pulled him out of it and had never let him slide fully into it again.

Gohan sighed quietly. Though he knew his mother would not appreciate the sentiment, he was closer to Piccolo than any other person on the planet. After Raditz, everything had changed. From that point on, the only time he had gotten to spend with his father, and not train, had been the few days in the hospital after the battle with the Saiyans and those few days of peace before the Cell Games. That was it. Other than that, his father had been away training, training him, fighting, or dead. His mother had been so intent on him studying; she would forget to take the time just to be with him. He loved his parents and knew they loved him in return, but… Piccolo had been the one to listen to his nightmares, talk with him in the evenings or just sit quietly and watch the sunrise. He would not change his past if it meant losing Piccolo.

'_You're supposed to be meditating kid, not pouting.'_ Piccolo growled. The two were still completely linked, all of their mental barriers down, after what had happened. Sometimes, privacy just was not that important.

Laughing lightly, Gohan stretched from his position. Piccolo was right; he had not been meditating properly. _'Eh, I don't think I can fully clear my mind right now. We should probably head back though. It was good of Krillin to take over, but…'_

Piccolo snorted, he had caught the unspoken comment. Krillin had terrible luck camping. He never seemed to be able to snare anything and the fish always seemed to avoid his bait. The group would be fortunate to have something other than rations tonight with the ex-monk in charge. The two took to the skies once more.

Landing at the edge of camp, Gohan was surprised to see his cooks from the morning standing around a hoofed animal similar to a buffalo. They had actually caught something! However, they seemed to be at a loss as to what to do next. It was obvious they had never had to butcher an animal. What concerned Gohan though was a group by the stream washing some greens, inedible greens. Krillin had seen them land and walked over.

"Hey bro, don't act so shocked! Told you I had it covered, hehe." He was very proud of himself.

"Ah, Krillin? Please tell me no one ate those." He said pointing to the greenery in question.

"No, they are for dinner, why?"

"They cause bouts of uncontrollable diarrhea." Krillin paled and raced to the group, disposing of the offending plants. Piccolo was trying his best not to betray his amusement. He had already shown far too much emotion in one day. _'Oh, come on, admit, you're going soft!' _Gohan teased. Piccolo responded by hitting Gohan with his eye lasers.

"Ah, hehe," Krillin laughed nervously, walking back to them, "Gohan please tell me at least that thing is edible." He pointed to the buffalo.

"Yeah, that's fine but how did you kill it?"

"Oh, I….." he mumbled.

"What?"

"I ki blasted the stupid thing! None of the traps worked." When Gohan started laughing Krillin shoved him, "Shut up. Go make yourself useful and clean that thing or whatever you have to do so we can eat!"

Still chuckling Gohan walked over to the men who were still debating how to break down dinner. "Gohan!" Mr. Rubber shouted, relieved to see the boy. "What do we do with it?" He gestured wildly at the buffalo. Unsheathing his sword, Gohan made quick work of it, breaking it into neat portions like he had done with breakfast. He handed the meat off to the grateful men to put on the grill.

That evening, Krillin entertained the group with stories about his travels as a young man and training under Master Roshi. Even Piccolo smiled once. Banking the fire for the night, everyone retired to their shelters, the day had ended much better than it had begun.

Piccolo and Gohan headed back to their area for the night, lighting a small fire. Piccolo sighed silently in content. Even with the events of the day, he felt better than he had in weeks. His concentration had been strained lately, his meditation interrupted. With their minds still linked together, he felt complete.

Over the course of the next few days, Gohan divided the group's day in half. In the mornings, he taught them about the vegetation, what was edible, what could heal, and what could harm. In the afternoons, Gohan covered the local animal life, what to eat, what to avoid, tracking, and trapping. He also taught them the basics of making rudimentary weapons and fire starting. By Saturday, Gohan felt they were ready to try a little exercise. In preparation, he made a quick run to CC, he needed a special capsule from Bulma.

"Alright everyone," he announced after breakfast, "today we are going to do things a little differently. There will be no lessons today. Your goal is to go out in your pairs, find three edible plants, one medicinal plant, and catch at least one animal or fish for your lunch. First team back that successfully completes this exercise will win a prize."

"Ooh! What kind of prize Gohan?" Erasa squealed.

Smirking, Gohan held up the capsule he had snagged earlier. "This is a portable shower with an independent water heater. First team back gets a real shower tonight!" Gohan had to wait for the squeals to die down; Piccolo covered his sensitive ears in annoyance. "Okay, rules, Krillin, no flying and stay at a normal pace." Krillin made a rude gesture; he wanted that shower. "Also, do your own work, no asking other teams for help and no taking someone else's catch. If it is not your trap or line, do not touch it! Piccolo and I will be flying overhead, so no cheating. Everybody ready? Go!"

It was bedlam for a moment as everyone tried to exit the valley at the same time. Snorting at the spectacle, Piccolo and Gohan leapt into the air to keep watch. For the next few hours, they darted back and forth across the sky, blasting a snake before it could strike here or pulling someone out of a ditch over there. So far, there had been no cheating. Unbeknownst to Gohan, the group had decided after that first morning to do whatever was asked of them, in full, to show their appreciation to the boy that saved the world. They wanted to make the trip as enjoyable for him as possible.

Videl and Krillin returned to the valley first with Sharpener and his father right behind them. While Videl was doing a victory dance, Gohan looked over their loot. "Krillin?"

"Yeah bro?" He was all but jumping in his excitement, finally, hot water! He did not know how Piccolo had lived his entire life without indoor plumbing.

"Do you remember those greens you gathered that first night you were out here?"

"Well, yeah. You had me get rid…. NO!" Videl stopped dancing and Krillin whimpered. Gohan held up the offending plant dashing away any hope for their showers.

"Sorry, but you only have two edible plants. Well Sharp, shower's all yours." He tossed the capsule to the father and son team before taking back off. There were still more teams out there.

Videl lightly punched Krillin on the shoulder, scowling. Overall, being partnered with Krillin had been a very positive experience for her. While the subject of Gohan was firmly off limits, he talked to her, really talked, about everything else. He had taken the time to explain ki control so she could properly understand how so many seemingly impossible things had happened at the Cell Games. He listened to her vent her frustration and sorrow over her father's actions. To her, he was becoming almost like an uncle.

Krillin found himself drawn to Videl as well. The poor kid had been severely lacking in adult attention. Her father was always away on a promotional tour instead of being home with her. Krillin had a feeling it had been a long time since anyone other than her friends had taken the time to truly listen to her or offer advice. He wondered what 18 would say when he showed up with another kid, because there was no way he was going to force her to go back into that environment.

Soon the rest of the teams had made it back to base. A free afternoon had been declared and everyone was taking advantage of it. Sharpener had been having fun rubbing in how wonderful his shower had been to Erasa, Piccolo and Gohan were off meditating, Krillin was having an animated discussion with Videl, and most everyone else was playing in the water, when 18 decided to visit with Marron.


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer- I own nothing

Chapter 12

Landing lightly beside Gohan, who was floating in the lotus pose, 18 took advantage of his available lap and deposited a sleeping Marron before she went in search of her husband. Gohan just smiled, feeling the chibi's warm weight. Between Trunks, Goten, and Marron, Gohan often found himself volunteered as a babysitter.

18 raised an elegant brow; Krillin was currently sitting on a rock describing some of Master Roshi's exploits to a laughing raven-haired girl. Walking over to him, she sat down next to him. "I hardly think that old pervert is an appropriate topic for children."

"18!" Leaning over, Krillin gave her a quick kiss. He laughed sheepishly at being caught; Roshi was not her favorite person. "This is Satan Videl; her father had to leave early, so I volunteered to be her adult for the trip." 18 gave her an interested look. She knew who the girl's father was; in fact, she had once offered to eliminate the man for Gohan. Pity he had refused.

"Coach! Who's the babe?" Sharpener yelled.

Krillin bristled possessively, but 18 just gave him a mischievous look. Sauntering over to the hormonal teen, 18 leaned in brushing her lips over his cheek, and whispered quietly, "His wife."

Sharpener choked, turning three shades of red. He had just hit on the Coach's wife and he knew Coach could wipe the floor with him in an instant! Meanwhile, everyone that had witnessed the show was holding their sides laughing.

"Hey Coach? Didn't you say that your wife is an even more accomplished fighter than you are?" Videl asked, hearing that, Sharpener sunk further into his panic.

Still chuckling, Krillin nodded. Krillin had very little conceit. Unlike Vegeta, while he enjoyed fighting and increasing his strength, he did not see the need to put others down. 18 appreciated that trait in him.

"Oooh, Coach, can we see you guys spar?" Erasa pleaded. Since they had already been caught, the Z-Warriors present had decided to act as though super strength and flying were completely normal. By acting natural about it, the rest of the group had rapidly adjusted to it. But the only spar they had witnessed was the end of Gohan and Piccolo's that first day. They desperately wanted to see another; this was the perfect chance.

"That's not a bad idea." Piccolo's voice rumbled. Looking over to Krillin he pointed to the sleeping child in Gohan's lap. "Come grab your brat Krillin. I think 18 and I should work the kid over." 18 smirked, that sounded like fun. Picking Marron up, she handed her over to Krillin. Piccolo reached over and grabbed Gohan, he wasn't moving fast enough to suit him. The kid had not wanted to power up, let alone spar, since his fight with Vegeta. Piccolo felt it was time to get over it.

Excited, the group followed the fighters out of their valley and into a more open area. They had gotten used to seeing those three do impossible things everyday, but had not seen a spar start to finish. Krillin just chuckled at their excitement, though if Chi-Chi ever found out, they were all doomed.

"Shall we make this interesting?" Piccolo asked, as he took off his weights. He held a hand out towards Gohan, piling several tons of weighted training gear onto him. Even teaming up with 18, they would be hard-pressed to keep up with the kid; he was just that good.

"Piccolo! Jeez, did you have to add that much?" Gohan shouted, adjusting to the weight.

"What are you talking about Brains, add what? You don't look any different." Sharpener was not the only one that was confused.

"Watch," Gohan took off one of his wristbands, letting it fall. It landed with a dull thud, sinking several inches into the ground. Curious, Videl stepped over and tried to pick it up, she could not even budge it. Shaking his head at Piccolo's version of interesting, Gohan lightly scooped the wristband up and slid it back into place. The slack-jawed expression had once again returned to the faces of the group.

"Okay guys, since there are so many people, no ki blasts. Try to keep your speed down so you remain visible too." Krillin instructed.

The three nodded in acknowledgement, sliding as one into their stances. Raising their power, strong winds began to buffet their audience. A bright aura surrounded the warriors, bathing their surroundings in a brilliant light. By some unspoken command, they all charged at once.

Gohan did want to lose control again. Until a few days ago he had been confident in his control; but now… He could feel the seductive pull of power, the seemingly endless well of pure energy, just begging to be released from its confines. Resisting temptation, Gohan devoted himself to concentrating on his speed, blocking and dodging the flurry of kicks and punches around him as the trio rose further into the air.

18 was amazed at Gohan's speed. She hadn't seen him in action since before he had fought with Cell. The others had told her, but this was insane. She had yet to land a single blow. Disgusted she called to Piccolo, "I don't think you added enough weight!"

Piccolo grunted an acknowledgment. 18 wasn't the only one that was disgusted. The kid was dodging or blocking everything, but had yet to throw a single punch or kick. He was completely on the defense and it did not look as though he intended to fight back. Piccolo could feel his reluctance to go on the offense. Determined to shake him out of his fear, Piccolo broke Krillin's rules. "Special Beam Cannon!" The spiral of deadly energy slammed into Gohan. 18, taking her cue from the Namek, fired her own ki blast. The attacks combined, engulfed Gohan, growing larger and brighter.

"Everybody duck!" yelled Krillin, shielding Marron. Whenever Gohan knocked that energy away, the shockwave would be tremendous.

Gohan transformed into the first level of Super Saiyan with a violent flash of golden light. He minimized as much of the shockwave as possible by absorbing the energy from their blasts and dispersing it into his aura. Hot teal eyes met black and blue; if they wanted to play rough, he would play rough.

"Are you done playing yet kid?" Piccolo sneered, trying to provoke a response. 18 glanced over quickly, she didn't know about them, but she had not been playing around; Gohan's power was at an astounding level. Growling, Gohan went on the attack. He took 18 out first. Phasing in behind her, she was unable to block the roundhouse kick he aimed at her. The force slammed her into the ground below, embedding her into the rocks. She decided to stay there for the moment, as it seemed the safer option.

Turning on Piccolo, the Namek suddenly had his hands full. The rapid barrage of kicks, flips, and punches, in endless variety, was relentless. Breaking away, Piccolo tried to raise his energy as quickly as possible. Gohan didn't give him enough time. Wrapping his arms around his sensei, he drove them into the ground together in a suicide dive. The resulting crash created a deep crater, with the warriors in the middle.

Videl could hardly believe the level of fighting she was witnessing as the spar started. They were moving so fast, she could hardly see the movements. Then Piccolo and 18 fired light, Coach had called them ki blasts, at Gohan, engulfing him. It had exploded, knocking everyone onto the ground that had not ducked quickly enough after Krillin had shouted. At the epicenter of the explosion floated Gohan. His muscles seemed more defined, his long, spiky black hair was a bright golden color, seeming to defy gravity, but his eyes were the most dramatic change, they were teal, with no pupil. Any lingering doubt anyone may have harbored was instantly dispelled. He was definitely the Delivery Boy.

Videl blinked, and she missed it. Suddenly there was an explosion on the ground. Krillin muttered, "Ouch." That is when she realized 18 was nowhere in sight. Alarmed she turned to him, "What happened to 18? Is she okay?"

"Hn? Oh, Gohan just knocked her into the ground. She's fine, just probably does not want to play anymore. Man did you see that?" He exclaimed, gesturing. By now, the noise had woken Marron up and she was sleepily watching the fight as well. She had seen Uncle Gohan and Mr. Piccolo go at it before when her daddy took her to visit, so she wasn't overly impressed.

Videl gave Krillin a look that clearly said she thought he had lost his mind. She then gasped in horror as she watched the two men rocket towards the ground. Everyone was knocked back by the force of their impact. When no one emerged, the group ran for the crater. Except Krillin, who strolled over to see if his wife was ready to get up.

No one was prepared for what met their eyes at the bottom of that crater. They had been expecting major injuries, the two to be knocked out, something in line with the force of that fall. What they found was Piccolo laying back, a self-satisfied smirk on his face, and Gohan, still in Super Saiyan form, laughing!

"What is the matter with you two!" "What the hell Brains!" "How are you not dead?" The questions overlapped as the babbling mass tried to process what they had just witnessed. Gohan just waved them off, still laughing and Piccolo just rolled his eyes. 18 floated down and sat down next to them. Cocking a brow, she waited for an explanation. Not feeling the need to share, Piccolo merely shook his head.

Pouting slightly, 18 rose and took Marron; it was almost time for the little girl's dinner. She kissed her husband goodbye, ignoring the catcalls and wolf whistles that echoed through the teenagers present and headed home. Krillin would probably explain it to her later anyway. That is, after they finished discussing a certain girl moving in with them. 18 approved of Videl; the teen was nothing like her father.

Still blushing slightly, Krillin suggested to the group that it was time to find some dinner. They split into several groups, some went to hunt, others to forage, and a few went to find more firewood and get the grill ready. Shaking their heads at the apparently senseless beings still at the bottom of the crater, they dispersed.

Sighing contently, Gohan laid back, arms stacked behind his head and watched the clouds lazily drift across the sky. In a very rare show of relaxation, Piccolo joined him. Gohan could count the number of times that had happened on a single hand.

'_You did that on purpose, didn't you sensei?' _

'_Of course. There is nothing wrong with your control kid. Before Vegeta showed up and pushed you, we were fine. Yes you were angry, but you were not trying to slaughter me either.'_

'_I knocked Vegeta around pretty badly though and I cannot remember everything that happened.' _Gohan's guilt over that was an almost tangible force.

'_Both times, after you knocked his Royal Idiot out, you left him alone. You were able to stop yourself.'_

Gohan hummed in reply. Piccolo was right. If he had completely lost control, Vegeta would be dead. Looking up at the sky, he let his mind drift and just enjoyed the moment. He and Piccolo were still firmly linked; they had been for several days now in fact. Gohan could feel his friend's satisfaction that his little scheme had worked so well and a lazy pleasure for the serenity of the moment. Still stretched out at the bottom of the crater, the acute relief had relaxed Gohan so much that he slid into sleep. As he was so closely linked to Gohan at the moment, Piccolo was pulled into slumber as well before he even realized the other's fatigue.


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer- I own nothing

Chapter 13

Krillin knew he should not do it. He would probably die as a result, but he couldn't resist. When everyone had returned with dinner in hand, he realized that Piccolo and Gohan were still in the crater, but they were sleeping! He had never caught Piccolo sleeping before in all of the years he had known him. Gesturing to his partners in crime Videl, Erasa, and Sharpener, they all threw their leaf bowl full of water down onto their unsuspecting victims and then ran for their lives.

Roaring in rage, Piccolo and Gohan leapt out of the crater after their tormentors. Gohan grabbed Krillin and Sharpener. Piccolo snagged Videl and Erasa. Soaring high into the sky with them, the hapless prisoners did the only thing they could, beg for mercy. Piccolo growled and bared his fangs. It was bad enough he had actually fallen asleep, but to have someone witness it was unacceptable.

'_They look like they need a bath, don't they Piccolo?' _Gohan's answer was a sadistic chuckle. Sharpener fainted then, from either the chuckle or the height they had attained. His last thought before he lost consciousness was that he never should have listened to Coach because now he was going to die.

Diving towards the ground, all four pranksters found themselves sopping wet, in the middle of the stream. Spluttering and trying to get the water out of her eyes, Videl turned on Krillin. "You said it would be fine!"

"Well, they didn't kill us, so see, fine." Screeching at him, Videl helped Erasa out of the water and went to go dry out.

Sharpener tried to get out of the water but kept slipping on the rocks. Pointing at Krillin, he kept repeating, "It was his idea!"

Laughing sheepishly, Krillin was backing away from them slowly. Gohan was still in his Super Saiyan form, as his control over it was so exquisite he had never left it after the spar. Piccolo's eye kept twitching. Growling one last time, Piccolo reached down and grabbed Krillin by his gi. Krillin opened his mouth to plead, beg, anything, when Piccolo suddenly tossed Krillin, catapulting him into the sky.

'_Feel better?'_

'_Warn me next time before you pull me into something as undignified as sleep!'_ Piccolo demanded. Chuckling in reply, Gohan watched Krillin stop his ascent and fly back down. Though he noticed Krillin landed on the far side of the camp instead of beside them. In all honesty, he was rather pissed off at Krillin. It was exceedingly rare for Piccolo to relax that much. After his little stunt, it would probably be years before Piccolo allowed himself to relax like that again.

"Mr. Son!" A mangled shout drew his attention. Mr. Hyack was standing in front of them furiously working his mouth, but seemed incapable of further speech.

"Yes sir?" Gohan said politely. He wasn't exactly sure what the problem was, but he was learning that things that were okay in his world, were unacceptable to the rest of the world.

"What happened to Coach Krillin? If he falls from that height he'll die!" The man was beside himself. He had become accustomed to both this new Gohan and his sensei, but murder would not be permitted. Shaking his head, Gohan merely pointed to Krillin who was now waiting in line for his dinner. "B-but, how? He was?" Mr. Hyack stuttered pointing at the sky and back to Krillin. Deciding to take pity on his teacher, Gohan led him to the dinner line, patting his shoulder.

Gohan did not join him in the line. Rather than consume everything the group had worked so hard to gather, Gohan had been in the habit of getting everyone settled and then hunting down his own dinner. Moreover, it gave him a few extra moments of peace throughout the day.

Looking around, he was very proud of how well everyone had adapted. So far, no had tried to slack off or get out of contributing their fair share. The cohesiveness of the group was fantastic, each member playing to his or her strengths. Several of the girls had even made a privacy screen by the stream for bathing out of several long sticks and the same kind of large leaves he had used to bundle and carry the fruit that first morning. If anyone had tried to tell him Monday night that this group would do this well, he would have died laughing. They had all definitely surprised him. Powering down to his base form, Gohan waved goodbye to Krillin and went in search of his own meal.

Piccolo waited quietly for Gohan to finish his dinner. He was used to the kid's need to eat after their years together; though he was still grateful he only required water. Isolated as they were from the rest of the group, even Piccolo's sensitive ears could only pick up noises that belonged to the desert. The silence was comfortable and neither felt the need to break it.

Content as a cat, Gohan floated up to Piccolo's level and slid into meditation. Despite staying linked for the past week, both looked forward to their meditation sessions. The quality of the connection was deeper, richer, and more profound. Time passed by unnoticed and the sunset went unappreciated.

'_What's this?'_ Piccolo had come across one of Gohan's thoughts he had not seen before, something about his third level transformation.

'_Ah, that. The third level of the Super Saiyan form is useless to me as it stands. The sheer amount of energy it takes to sustain it defeats the entire purpose of a more powerful form.'_

Piccolo grunted in agreement. He had seen that for himself. '_Okay, I know you kid, what are trying to do?'_

'_I think I can channel the energy in a different way, preventing the extreme energy drain. Dad's Kao Ken technique, the one he learned from King Kai, focused his energy without exhausting him, allowing him access to more power. I haven't tried it yet, but if I am right, by using the same basic principle I could actually use all of that power without all of the consequences.'_

'_And if you are wrong?'_

'_If I am wrong, then the intense concentration of energy will kill me.' _Piccolo gasped at the pain that calm statement caused. The thought of Gohan dieing was completely unacceptable to him.

'_Sorry Piccolo.' _Gohan had felt the pain and panic he had caused with his musings._ 'That's why that thought was buried in the back of my mind. It would be too irresponsible to attempt. I am not sure there will ever be an appropriate time to try it.' _Piccolo growled, embarrassed by his undisciplined reaction.

"Hey Gohan! Piccolo!" Krillin shouted, flying to them at breakneck speeds. "Are you guys okay? What happened?" Krillin looked panicked stricken.

Gohan opened his eyes, shaking away the morbid thoughts they had stumbled into. "Krillin, don't take this the wrong way, but, what on earth are you talking about?" Piccolo merely watched silently, he had not yet forgiven Krillin for his earlier prank.

Krillin looked speechless for a moment. "King Kai has been trying to reach you! Your dad wanted to check in with you, but when he tried talking to you through King Kai, they couldn't do it. He tried Piccolo next since he could feel that you were close to one another, but he could not get through to Piccolo either. They just contacted me and sent me to find you. We thought something horrible had happened!"

Gohan sat quietly for a moment, considering everything Krillin had just said. King Kai had been able to speak to them in the past with no problems. That meant something had recently changed to block him. Then it hit him. He and Piccolo were fully linked, that might be preventing the Kai from getting through. He just needed to test it. Piccolo nodded slightly, having heard Gohan's thought process.

"Okay Krillin, do me a favor, tell King Kai to try to talk to me right now." Gohan watched as Krillin closed his eyes in concentration and waited. Nothing.

"Did you hear him?" Krillin asked hopefully.

"No, tell him to try again." _'Ready to block the link Piccolo?' _Gohan and Piccolo simultaneously blocked their mental link to see if the Kai could then get through. Gohan immediately heard King Kai shouting in his mind. But he was in too much pain to pay attention. As soon as he had blocked Piccolo from his mind, a searing pain ripped through him. Looking over, he saw his friend struggling as well. They quickly re-linked, easing the pain.

'_What in the hell was that?_' Piccolo groaned. They had always been able to open and close the mental link that went along with their bond at will. Shielding had never brought any pain or discomfort.

'_I don't know.'_ Gohan answered, almost nauseated from the intense pain.

Krillin stood back watching them wide-eyed. One moment they had been fine, the next, both had doubled over in pain. Krillin's attention was snapped back to King Kai. "King Kai wants you to head up to the Lookout. With Dende's help you will be able to physically hear him, since telepathically does not appear to be an option." Gohan nodded, still holding a hand to his head. Slowly the two rose into the air and turned towards the Lookout.

Upon arriving, Dende looked them over, frantically touching them to reassure himself. King Kai had already filled him in and the young Kami was very concerned, Piccolo and Gohan were his closest friends. Piccolo growled in annoyance, he did not like to be touched.

"Okay fellas, can you hear me?" King Kai's voice seemed to echo from above them.

"Yes King Kai, we can all hear you," Dende answered.

"Gohan, Piccolo, do either of you know why you cannot be reach psychically?"

Gohan shot Piccolo a look, silently asking his permission to explain. Neither one had shared the depth of their bond with anyone. Piccolo nodded, not happy about it, but accepting the necessity. Bracing himself, Gohan explained, "Yes King Kai, we know what happened, but not why it happened. You probably know that Piccolo and I have always had a bond; it formed back when he first trained me. We always knew where the other was and could speak telepathically if we needed to." Gohan paused for a moment; he resented having to explain how and why it had changed.

"Yes, I remember," King Kai replied, "even though he was dead at the time, Piccolo could sense when you were in trouble on Namek. It is called Imprinting. Namekian parents form that particular bond with their newly hatched children in order to protect them. But that does not explain what is blocking others from your mind."

"Well, after Cell, it changed." Gohan stated reluctantly.

"Changed how?" King Kai asked sharply.

"It became more. When we are linked, we can hear, see and feel each other's thoughts and emotions."

"This is very important, what exactly were you doing when it changed Gohan?"

"We were meditating. I was having a hard time after dad died. Piccolo connected to me through our original bond, he was helping me. After our bond changed, we were only fully opening the link during meditation. However, this week we have left it open at all times. When we blocked it a little while ago, I could hear you, but there was intense pain. As soon as we re-linked, the pain faded. That has never been a problem in the past."

King Kai was silent for several moments before speaking once more. "I think I know what happened, but it shouldn't be possible." He hesitated; his voice was tentative.

"Spit it out old man." Piccolo demanded.

"You no longer share an Imprint bond. That actually fades in its intensity as the child grows into adulthood. If I am right, somehow the two of you, at least partially, have fused. Your bodies are separate, but from what you described your minds, your very essence, have joined."

The shocked silence reverberated across the Lookout. Shaking himself, Piccolo snarled, "I think you have been dead for too long Kai, its caused brain damage!"

"That's King Kai to you Piccolo!" the Kai snapped.

"But why would fusing make us unable to hear you telepathically?" Gohan wondered.

"Saiyans and Nameks are both telepathic species. Most likely, when one of you is subjected to an outside psychic force, the other's telepathic abilities kick in, blocking the intruder."

"I thought when Nameks fused; the other person's mind was completely absorbed. So how are we still independent?" Gohan was trying to wrap his brain around the entire concept.

"Most likely, you each have enough psychic power to retain independent thought, though you both have probably taken on some of the other's traits." King Kai mused.

Gohan looked at Piccolo. Really thinking about it, he realized how much some of Piccolo's behaviors, especially emotionally, mirrored his own in small ways. In the last week alone, Piccolo had willingly come to his school and spent time around people, not his favorite thing. But he had put Gohan's feelings ahead of his own discomfort. That was something he never would have considered doing when Gohan had first met him. Piccolo had even spared Krillin a few hours ago, letting him go without serious injury.

'_Hey, don't even go there kid; you're making me sound like milk toast!' _He was uncomfortable with Gohan's observations._ 'Besides, you aren't exactly all sweetness and light anymore, I rubbed off on you.' _Piccolo was rather smug about that.

That was completely true. The words completely without guile could no longer be used to describe him. In addition, Gohan was much more emotionally stable now than he had ever been as a child. He enjoyed and sought out meditation, had for several years now. Piccolo's trademark floating lotus position was as much his as Piccolo's. There were several other small changes in his personality as well but he had just attributed them to growing up.

"King Kai, sir, how is it even possible for Gohan and Piccolo to be fused on any level? They aren't even the same species." Dende asked, interrupting their contemplation. In fact, Dende was shocked that they had ever been able to Imprint in the first place.

"You are entirely correct Dende; they never should have been able to fuse on any level. Even I do not how they did it. As Piccolo is intimately acquainted with, Namekians have the ability to fuse with one another, but it has never been attempted outside of their race. The only reason Gohan and Piccolo's bodies did not fuse is probably due to their difference in species. Gohan, you said Piccolo used your original bond to connect to you right?"

"Yes sir."

"Okay Piccolo, what exactly were you thinking about when you did that?"

Piccolo scowled; there was no way he was sharing that. All he had been thinking about was pulling Gohan away from that terrifying darkness in his mind. He had instinctively known that if Gohan was consumed by it, he would never get his Gohan back. So Piccolo had put his friend in the only safe place he could; into his own mind. Meanwhile, he had worked in Gohan's mind, filling it with his presence, trying to heal the damage that Goku's death and Gohan's own guilt had caused.

"Ah, I understand now!" Gohan exclaimed, hearing Piccolo's thoughts on the matter. "Okay, I get how it happened, but why can't we close the link now?"

"Get what? Piccolo never answered!" King Kai yelled.

"Oh, he answered, he just didn't answer you." Gohan retorted, proving that he had definitely taken on some of Piccolo's mannerisms. "Now, why is it that we have been able to control our bond for years, but now we can't?"

King Kai huffed irritably; you would think being a king, he would get more respect. "Most likely, by leaving the link open, you altered it."

"That kinda makes sense sir, but not completely. We've left the link open for hours at a time meditating before. If it was just a question of time, logically, this should have happened years ago. So what else could have affected it?

"Gohan," King Kai said slowly, "you may never know. You are in uncharted waters right now. So many things could have caused the change. This might just be the inevitable conclusion. Or it could be that it takes a specific amount of consecutive time to keep the link permanently open. Or maybe you drastically changed the frequency of its use and destabilized it."

Gohan's head snapped up and Piccolo groaned. _'It's the Banshee's fault! She kept you trapped in that school or at home.' _

'_We didn't link up for a few weeks.'_

'_We have never done that before, we always connected on a daily basis.'_

'_My temper, I could not keep my temper in check.'_

'_I hadn't been able to properly meditate for a while.'_

'_We were both feeling the affects of the link destabilizing.'_

'_Then when we kept it open, it overcorrected.'_

'_Probably to keep us from allowing it to get to that point again!' _

Gohan and Piccolo raced from thought to thought, realizing what had happened. Poor Dende just looked confused; watching the expressions flit across their faces but unable to hear the underlying conversation.

"Okay, King Kai, we figured that out too. Do you think we will ever be able to control the link again?" Gohan asked.

"What do you mean you figured it out? I can't hear your thoughts you know!" The Kai was getting very frustrated at being left out.

"Don't worry about it." Gohan said dismissively. "Now, do you think we will be able to control the link again?"

"Fine don't share! I am trying to help you know!" he shouted irritably. Continuing a bit more calmly he said, "There is a simple way to gauge whether or not you will be able to control it later. Try to close the link again, if it is easier than last time you will probably regain control at some point."

Shrugging, the two once again tried to close the other from their mind. The result was both instantaneous and horrifying. It felt as though someone was trying to rip every bone from their bodies, while simultaneously pouring lye into their skulls. Linking back up, Gohan and Piccolo collapsed on the floor of the Lookout, panting and writhing in the aftermath. What was worse, they had only closed the link for a split second.

"Well, that answered that." Gohan gasped through clenched teeth, trying not to retch.

"Okay King Kai, if we are fused in all but body, what happens if one of us dies?" Piccolo asked, thinking back to their earlier conversation.

"Your minds and souls are irrevocably intertwined. The shock and trauma of having half of yourself ripped away…. If one dies, you both do."


	14. Chapter 14

A/N—Thank you again to everyone that reviewed. I hope everyone enjoyed their Christmas.

Disclaimer- I own nothing

Chapter 14

After swearing Dende to silence, Gohan and Piccolo had returned to their camp to find Krillin waiting anxiously for them. You would think he would have known better than to ask Piccolo anything right then, but sometimes Krillin was severely lacking in common sense. After Piccolo knocked the ex-monk unconscious, making him feel better, Gohan had carried his limp form back to camp and put him to bed. Krillin did not ask again.

Both felt amazingly calm as they settled in for the night. Then again, they had had the last six years to adjust. The only real change for them was that they had lost control over it. Gohan snorted quietly, he was not sure he would ever get used to thinking of his bond, his link, with Piccolo as a partial fusion. It just did not adequately describe it.

After their little chat with King Kai, Dende had pleaded with them to tell the rest of the Z-Warriors. While they might eventually have to explain at least part of it, neither felt the need right now. The only one Gohan was worried about was his mother.

'_Tell the Banshee if you must, but realize that I am not ready to see King Yemma yet.'_

Gohan snorted in derision. If anyone told his mother, he would personally send the baka responsible into the next dimension. Dismissing the thought for the moment, Gohan decided to get some sleep. They still had a week to go out here.

The next two days passed by in a blur. Deciding that the group had finally mastered foraging and hunting, Gohan was allowing them to spend the mornings gathering food and relaxing. In the afternoon, he worked with them on wilderness style first aid and navigation; even some of the adults had never used a compass.

Piccolo spent his mornings with Gohan now that he had them free and his afternoons in quiet meditation. Floating high above the desert, he considered how everything had changed. Six years ago, hearing and feeling everything that went on in Gohan's head was maddening. He had been unable to concentrate and all he wanted was for the kid to learn some control. This felt different. Instead of the constant barrage of sheer noise, it reminded him of his waterfall. A relaxing and comforting sound he relied on.

'_You sound like thunder to me.' _Gohan interjected.

'_Thunder?'_

'_When we first started training together, you would sometimes talk to me in the evening. I would fall asleep listening to you those nights. Your voice reminded me of thunder; the kind that rolls across the sky, not booming, but low and quiet, reverberating with power. After I went home, I loved it when it stormed. I would imagine that it was you talking to me.' _Gohan said nonchalantly. He was not embarrassed, even he was, there would be no point. All Piccolo had to do was look in the right place to see those memories anyway.

'_You always were sentimental.' _He said gruffly. He knew Gohan could feel the warmth his words had caused, but that didn't mean he had to get mushy._ 'Aren't you supposed to be busy?' _Gohan chuckled and turned his attention back to the task at hand.

Gohan was pleased with the progress the group had made. Everyone could now splint a broken bone, bind a wound, and treat a snakebite with only the materials found around them. Added to that, almost everyone could accurately navigate using only a compass and a heading. Krillin was still having problems with that. He figured it was not a big deal since he could sense ki.

"Okay everyone, I think we are done for the day." Gohan announced looking his charges over. They had been practicing binding pretend injuries on each other so every one had at least one body part wrapped up. "Go get cleaned up and find something to eat. Mr. Hyack, can I talk to you for a moment please?"

The teacher nodded, awkwardly making his way over to the young man. He had a "broken leg" and it was preventing him from moving easily. "What can I do for you Mr. Son?"

Gohan motioned for him to sit and began unwrapping his leg for him. "Well, I was hoping you could help me. I need some paper and something to write with for tomorrow's lesson, but I didn't bring any with me."

"Ah, that I can help with." Standing and stretching his stiff leg, he reached into a pocket and pulled out a small notebook and pencil. "Old teacher's habit, I never seem to leave the house without something to write on." He said, blushing slightly.

"Thanks! This will make tomorrow so much easier. But, I might end up using all of the paper. Is that okay?"

"Gohan, I did not get eaten by a dinosaur my first night out because of you. I think I can spare some paper for you." Chuckling softly, Mr. Hyack turned away; he was on foraging duty tonight.

Gohan just stood there for a moment. He was not used to anyone outside of his family or the gang thanking him. He had just been doing what he had always done. An acknowledgement just felt, weird. Shaking off the uncomfortable feeling, he rose into the sky to where Piccolo was waiting.

The next day after lunch, Gohan gathered the group together just outside of the valley. They were giving him uneasy looks, he looked entirely too happy. That usually meant some impossible task that he would insist was simple. At his feet was what looked to be a large net made from sturdy vines.

"Okay, for today's activity, we are going to have some fun. I will be taking and dropping everyone off in your pairs a ways away from camp. You will be given a random list of injuries to treat and a task; such as making a weapon or gathering some food." He held up the small notebook with the lists. "Your job is to first treat your injuries and then complete your task. You will need to use your compass and new navigation skills to make it back here in time for dinner. The prize this time will be a hot meal waiting for you."

They cheered at that. Today was Tuesday, their ninth day in the wild and the constant need to hunt or forage was beginning to wear them down. Gohan flew everyone out to their drop sites by having them sit on the net so he could carry them. Once all the groups were set, he hurried to get dinner started.

While so far he had been unable able to cook anything in a proper kitchen, Gohan was very good at cooking over a fire. Flying as quickly as he could, he gathered what he needed; a large rock for a bigger kettle, edible tubers, greens, herbs, and game meat. Adding a few stable ki balls into the pot so it would cook evenly, he settled the massive batch of stew over the fire and went to check on everyone.

After turning one group in the right direction, he flew over Krillin and Videl. They had actually managed to treat their injuries already and he saw that they each carried a simple spear. What irritated him though was the fact that they did not have their compass out. Apparently, Krillin had sensed the ki balls in dinner and was using that to guide them. That was not the point of the exercise. Next time, he would find a way to render Krillin's current method useless.

After about four hours, the pairs started stumbling back into camp, exhausted. Hobbling to the pot, they filled their plates, starving. Gohan and Piccolo were floating a few hundred feet above the camp, watching.

'_You've had something brewing in the back of your mind all day kid. What are you planning on doing to them?'_

Gohan guided Piccolo to his complete thought. Piccolo chuckled. He had wondered when the kid would get around to doing that.

Gohan quietly crept through the camp in the predawn darkness. Grabbing one pair at a time, he was slowly emptying the valley of its inhabitants. Allowing each pair only the time to grab their kits, he carried them off, abandoning them miles away. He saved Krillin and Videl for last. As soon as they were settled onto the net, Gohan struck Krillin at the base of his neck, knocking him out.

"Gohan, what did you do to him?" Videl asked alarmed, trying to rouse the man.

"Don't worry about it. He will only be out for a little while; I did not hurt him. Now, hold on." With that, Gohan flew the pair away from the camp. Setting them down, he moved Krillin off the net, leaning him up against a rock. Turning to Videl, he gave her their instructions. "Okay, the camp is due north from here. Your job is to get back in one piece."

"That's it? No crazy injuries, no having to bring back some random plant, just get back to camp?" She really did not believe it would be that simple; nothing Gohan had had them do was that simple.

"Yes Videl, that's all you have to do. If you ever truly get lost in the wilderness, you will not stay in a single place. You would be trying to get out. Now, it should take you about two days or so to make it back from here. You will need to gather food as you go, keep each other safe, and set up camp twice. When Krillin wakes up, you can tell him he's not crazy and yes that means he will have to use the compass this time, oh, and no flying or else." Leaving her staring at him as though he had lost his mind, Gohan returned to camp and the waiting Piccolo.

If you spend any time around the Demon Duo, you have to have a way to protect yourself. Their pranks were near legendary. After having his hair dyed purple to match his gi, Gohan had decided he needed a method to know if they were near him. He had figured out how to cast his own ki out like a net. Blanketing his room with it, if anyone entered, the disturbance would immediately wake him up. That saved him from whatever the evil Duo had cooked up that time. As an added bonus, it also seemed to block them from being able to sense his ki. Curling into the familiar midair pose, Gohan cast his net over the entire area.

Piccolo grunted in surprise. This was the first time he had been actively linked with Gohan while he used this technique; he had not realized what all it entailed. It was extremely complex and stretched for miles in every direction. Gohan would know if anything moved within the area. Not only that, but Piccolo noted that it completely nullified his ability to sense the ki of the group. If he didn't know better, he would say that the two of them were the only living beings for miles. Deciding to take advantage of the quiet, Piccolo slid into meditation.

This was the first time Gohan had blanketed an area this large. The drain on his energy was greater than he expected. However, with everyone so far flung, this was the only way to ensure their safety. Settling deeper into meditation, he kept silent watch over his charges.

Krillin moaned, rubbing a hand to his head. Looking around, he saw that he and Videl were in the middle of nowhere, it was still dark out.

"Coach, you're awake!" Videl hated the dark and even though Gohan had only left a few minutes ago, she was relieved to have Krillin awake.

"Yeah I'm awake, where are we?"

"We are wherever Gohan dumped us. He said we are about 2 days or so away from camp. We have to make it back to base from here."

"Okay that's easy." Krillin said reaching out with his senses, trying to feel the ki around them to get his bearings. There was nothing. He could not even feel Videl's ki. He looked around in alarm.

"Are you okay Coach?"

"I don't know; I can't sense anything, that's never happened before."

"Oh, that might be what Gohan meant. He said to tell you that you aren't crazy and that yes, you will have to use the compass. He also said no flying, or else."

Krillin groaned. Gohan did not make idle threats. He had been irritated with Krillin for not learning to use the compass, he had even warned him. Since he had been unconscious for the ride here, Krillin had no idea which way to go. Without using Gohan's lessons, they would not make it back. Scrubbing his face with his hands, he turned to Videl. They might as well get started.

Gohan hovered high above the ground, slowly eating a piece of fruit. Piccolo had tossed it at him with a growled demand that he eat. The strain of maintaining such a large net was getting to him a bit. He had dumped everyone about 12 hours ago; it was now late afternoon. In those 12 hours, he had rescued ten teams. Three teams had almost drowned, two teams had run into T-Rexes, one team had tried to cross a ravine and nearly fallen to their deaths, another had disturbed a pterosaur's nest, and the other three teams had been heading in the wrong direction. Krillin and Videl had fallen into that last category.

Feeling another tug on his net, Gohan raced to the west. Swooping under Sharpener, he caught him before he struck the ground. Shaking his head, he tried to figure out what Sharpener and his father had been thinking trying to scale a cliff wall without proper gear.

"T-thanks Brains." Sharpener collapsed to the ground, his legs unable to support him. Flying up, Gohan rescued Mr. Pencil, who had not fallen yet, but was stuck. Shaking his head again, he asked them to go around next time. Nodding, the two men sat, trying to compose themselves. Gohan returned to the center of his net once more.

Piccolo watched Gohan carefully; he was floating in deep meditation, keeping track of everyone and everything. So far, the kid had spent the day running after the humans, saving them from one near disaster after another. He knew Gohan had taught them better than that, but they were being careless. The fatigue he felt in Gohan's energy worried him.

'_You need to take a break kid.' _

'_I know, but, argh.' _Gohan shot off again. He returned about ten minutes later. _'I know I told them saber tooth tigers were dangerous. I specifically remember that lesson!'_

Piccolo raised a brow ridge. '_I know you did, I had to listen to it echoing around in my head.'_

'_Sorry, Piccolo. Mr. Hyack had never been that close to one before, he said something about wanting to see its markings.'_

'_You still need to take a break; eat something more substantial, maybe take a nap.'_

'_This is so much bigger than I thought it would be Piccolo. I_ _don't think I can hold it all and sleep. But I cannot leave them unattended either; the bakas have proved that.'_

Piccolo frowned, considering. Gohan had accepted responsibility for the welfare of the group. Therefore, he would drive himself into the ground to keep them safe, it was just his way. Even as linked as their minds were, Piccolo could not see everything Gohan did. What he had done was so intricate that not being the focus, Piccolo's view was slightly distorted; making it impossible for him to react quickly enough. _'Can you transfer the net to me?'_

'_Maybe. Okay, ready?'_ Gohan gathered all of the delicate tendrils in his mind, and slid them along the link to Piccolo, carefully arranging them. Once he was sure Piccolo had it, he let go. Piccolo groaned, almost staggering under the load, he already felt drained. How had the kid maintained this all day?

'_Are you okay Piccolo?'_ Gohan was already reaching to take the net back.

'_I'll be fine, just go take care of yourself.'_

Casting an appraising look at his dearest friend, Gohan nodded. Piccolo was right; he was tired. Lowering himself to the ground, he settled in for a nap.

Piccolo slid as deeply into meditation as he could; trying to conserve his energy. At least the bakas seemed to be behaving themselves. It felt as though most of them were stopping for the day, setting up camp. Suddenly Piccolo felt incredibly exhausted, so much, that he almost fell asleep. Flaring his ki, he jerked himself awake.

Gohan started. Piccolo's energy had just flared violently for a moment, knocking him out of his semiconscious state. Checking on him, he seemed okay. Shrugging he tried to go back to sleep. As he did so, the same thing happened again. Piccolo was nearly pulled into sleep with him causing him to flare his ki, startling Gohan, and waking him up.

'_This isn't working.'_ Gohan groaned.

'_No it isn't.'_ Piccolo's mental tone sounded strained. With Gohan's tired energy pulling at him and maintaining the net, he was rapidly exhausting.

Gohan looked up sharply. Piccolo was not handling the load well. His energy was falling at a steady pace. Rising, he rejoined Piccolo. Not giving him a chance to protest, he reclaimed the net, relieving the Namek's burden. Piccolo was shaking; his jade skin was clammy, his eyes closed.

'_Piccolo? Talk to me.'_ Gohan's panic was washing over him.

'_Calm down kid.'_ Piccolo steadied himself, and looked at Gohan. '_How are you doing it?'_ Gohan cocked his head to the side, silently questioning_. 'How are you holding that monstrosity?'_

Gohan's confusion was obvious. He did not know how he was holding it without it completely exhausting him, he just was.

'_We need to figure that out sometime. You are going to need to let go of it for a while though and rest.'_

'_I can't yet Piccolo. If I do, I will not be able to,'_ Gohan broke off, racing away again. Piccolo decided to let it ride for the moment. He would get Gohan to rest once the others fell asleep.


	15. Chapter 15

A/N- Morning all, thank you again for all of your reviews and feedback. I am amazed and grateful for it. I am sorry if it felt like I was picking on poor Krillin a bit too much. I swear, it ties in and ends well. I find his character to be so much fun so play with. He is ornery, stubborn, brave yet fearful, intelligent, lightly sarcastic, and caring. Please enjoy today's installment.

Disclaimer- I own nothing

Chapter 15

The road to hell is indeed paved with good intentions. All night long, as soon as Gohan felt it would be safe for him to relax, somebody did something stupid. It was as though they had not only forgotten everything they had learned in the last ten days, but lost any shred of common sense they might have been blessed with. Piccolo had stayed with him, lending him strength.

By morning, Gohan felt as though he had gone ten rounds with Cell, by evening he was wishing he had never had the bright idea to let the bakas do anything on their own. Gohan had stopped counting how many times he had to pull someone out of a dangerous situation after the thirty-second time. He had done this at four; it was not that hard!

That night, Gohan was just about ready to let them deal with the consequences of their own foolishness without his help. But as soon as he had that thought, he had to go rescue Erasa. She and her father had set up near a game trail and several carnos had started to surround their shelters. If he had let go of his net, his friend would have died. No one was allowed to die because of his inaction ever again. Friday morning finally came and with it, the pairs were slowly returning to the main camp.

Gohan carefully examined the surrounding area. Everyone was nearly back to camp and he could not feel any dangers nearby. For the first time in over two days, Gohan completely let go of his net. Moaning in relief, he and Piccolo sank to the ground. Piccolo had fine tremors running through his body. His normally vibrant skin had a sickly yellow cast to it. Gohan was a wreck; his energy was severely depleted. The lack of rest and nutrition had left him weak and nauseous.

'_Never again kid. Do you hear me? Never, ever again will I go on another school trip with you!' _

'_Don't worry, after this, neither will I!' _Groaning, he held his aching head in his hands._ 'Give me Frieza, the Spice Boys or even Cell, just not another field trip.' _They were still trying to recover enough to head back to their campsite when Krillin found them.

"Hey guys! We're back!" Krillin called out happily. He had enjoyed the last couple of days. He strolled over to Gohan and Piccolo, not realizing their condition until he got a better look at them. "What happened to you two?" He shouted frantically, racing over to kneel beside them.

"Just shut up and go get some sensus." Piccolo demanded. Nodding, Krillin blasted off to Korin's Tower.

Unfortunately, Krillin's shout had drawn attention to them. Several members of the group ran over to them, intent on helping. Piccolo growled at them, hoping they would get the message. Sadly, he was so tired that the noise lacked its usual violence.

"Mr. Son! What happened, were you attacked?" Mr. Hyack was looking them over for any obvious wounds or trauma.

"Don't touch me." Piccolo spat out. Fortunately for Mr. Hyack's continued existence, Krillin returned before Piccolo could find the energy to make him move away.

"Sorry guys, Korin only had one left." Krillin said apologetically.

"Give it to Gohan." Piccolo instructed. Krillin handed it to Gohan, who was now glaring at Piccolo.

'_Nice try, but you need it too.'_ Gohan broke the little bean in half, making Piccolo take his portion. Piccolo sneered at him, but ate his half, knowing further protest was pointless. Rising, he helped Gohan to his feet, holding him steady. Half a bean had not been nearly enough to restore the vast amounts of energy the kid had expended protecting the group.

Still supporting Gohan, Piccolo turned to Krillin. "The bakas are all yours. He is done instructing them and he is done protecting them from their own stupidity. I don't care who is about to drown, fall off a cliff or be eaten; even if Cell himself comes after you, you are on your own." With that, Piccolo pulled Gohan into the sky. As soon as they landed, Gohan gave into his exhaustion. Piccolo was left with no choice but to follow.

Krillin blinked in surprise. Whatever had happened to them had left Gohan's ki dangerously depleted. Even after consuming half a sensu bean, his energy levels had remained very low.

"Coach," Videl asked softly, "what could do that to Gohan?" She had never seen him like that. His skin had been almost transparent and his eyes had looked bruised from fatigue.

"I don't know." Turning back to the group Krillin asked, "Who all saw him in the last couple of days?"

"We did. We had just gotten started when this T-Rex came out of nowhere. It was huge, with scars across its face and hardly any tail left. We did not even have a chance to run; it was too close. Suddenly Gohan was right there, standing between its teeth and us. The strangest thing happened then; it took one look at the boy and ran. If I did not know better, I would say it was scared of him." One father/son team shared.

"We decided to stay outside for awhile that first night to look at the stars. I don't know what all came at us, it was too dark. He was just suddenly there and saved us." Came from another team.

"We were trying to climb up a cliff. I fell but Gohan caught me before I hit the ground." Sharpener offered.

"We accidentally set up by a game trail last night. I have never seen so many teeth; they were everywhere. All I saw was a flash of light, and then Gohan moved us to a safer place." Erasa whispered. The experience had terrified her.

"We were crossing a river; the current was too strong for us. I remember it pulling us under, the next thing I knew, we were on the other side and Gohan was standing over us." Another team in the group said.

One by one everyone came forward. Gohan had helped or saved every single pair at least once. Some teams multiple times over.

"What is the matter with you people? Did you forget everything you learned? Gohan was very specific in his safety lessons!" Krillin shouted angrily. Now he understood why Gohan had been so exhausted. There was no way he had been able to sleep with all of the trouble the group had been in over the last two days.

"What about you Coach?" Sharpener asked, "Did you and Videl see him?"

Krillin lightly blushed. "Well, yeah. We may have gotten lost once or twice." Gohan had had to turn them around twice that first day. They had laughed about it each time, but Krillin had to admit he appreciated his new knowledge. The Z-Warriors relied heavily on ki sensing and control. During the initial fight with the androids, their usual methods had been useless. Krillin knew Gohan had merely been doing his best to give him an additional skill set to fall back on.

Sharpener laughed, "Coach, how did you get lost? I seem to remember some very specific navigation lessons!"

Mr. Hyack stepped forward. "Will they be back?" He asked gesturing in the direction Piccolo and Gohan had gone in, his tone apprehensive.

"If it is up to Piccolo, no they are not coming back." Krillin stated. "He is not about to let anything happen to that kid and we blew it, big time."

"But, but…" Mr. Hyack was beside himself. Krillin just shook his head. Gohan had already taught them everything they needed; all they had to do was use what had been given to them.


	16. Chapter 16

A/N- Happy birthday Son-Shera-Starz!

Disclaimer- I own nothing

Chapter 16

Videl could hardly believe how much her life had changed from a simple field trip. She had been dreading going home. How was she going to face her father? But when the jet had landed yesterday, she found she didn't have to.

18 had simply walked up to her and told her they were going shopping. She had spent the rest of the day with her. They ransacked a few stores, eaten ice cream, and seen a movie. Videl could not remember ever having a day like that. Since her mother had passed away when she was seven, there had been no foolish shopping trips in her life.

After the movie had ended, Videl had braced herself, expecting 18 to take her home then. Instead, she had taken her to a house on the edge of Satan City; it still had a sold sign in the yard. Krillin and Marron were inside, curled up together on the couch with a book. After putting the little girl to bed, Krillin and 18 had led her to the table to talk. Coach had held her hand explaining that he had gained her father's permission and if she wanted to, she could stay with them.

This morning, she had been woken up by Marron jumping on her instead of the maid politely tapping on the door. She had had breakfast with everyone sitting down together instead of the butler bringing her a plate in the silent and empty dining hall. Then, Coach had picked her up and flown her to school. She was so used to being alone that she felt overwhelmed by how much contact she had had just in a single morning.

Videl was not the only one reminiscing on the weekend's events. Gohan shifted uncomfortably in desk. He already missed the vast open space of the desert desperately and it was only Monday morning. After leaving the group behind, he and Piccolo had slept the day away. Krillin had been there, patiently waiting for them wake up that night with food and water.

After reassuring Gohan that he had the group under control, he had left and the two finally were able to enjoy the trip as they had originally intended. That last weekend had been pure bliss spent sparring, meditating, and talking.

But like all good things, it had come to an abrupt end. When Gohan had not returned with the main group, Bulma and Chi-Chi had sent Vegeta out to bring him home. The resulting lecture his mother had heaped upon his head had ruined his hearing for at least an hour after its end.

Piccolo, even though he wasn't physically present for the verbal barrage, had no choice but to be subjected to it psychically. His low voice had echoed through Gohan's mind, _'See, this is why she is the Banshee.' _In an extreme lapse in judgment, Gohan had actually smirked at his comment, enjoying Piccolo's humor. Chi-Chi had taken that as a sign, confirming her worst fears that he had become a delinquent. It had been a long evening.

Settling back in his chair, Gohan pushed his surroundings away and listened to Piccolo's thoughts; absorbed the sensations around him. He was by his waterfall; the sound was a reassuring backdrop to the low rumble of his friend's voice. He knew Piccolo would leave for the Lookout soon to help Dende. With a slight pang, Gohan realized he would be unable to talk to Dende during his day anymore. The ringing bell interrupted his thoughts. Sighing, Gohan got up and headed to his next class. That is when the trouble started.

History tended to be rather dull. The teacher, Mrs. Kinito, loved obscure facts. Since Gohan had nothing to do in her class, it had become her goal to find something interesting for him to work on. Unfortunately, it was her version of interesting.

Today he was to read an archeological report on the Byzantine Empire and then discuss it from an anthropological point of view. After Gohan finished reading the report over, he started jotting down his response. What he found himself writing down was how to control the seven air currents of the Earth. Shaking his head, he tried to focus on the dry topic instead of Piccolo's lesson with Dende.

Up on the Lookout, Piccolo was attempting to give Dende a practical lesson in controlling the Earth's air currents. Instead of telling him how to guide the currents, he started telling him about some dead civilization. Growling in annoyance, he tried to push Gohan's thoughts to the side and reclaim his own.

It only got worse throughout the day. By gym, Gohan had to admit that while he loved the constant baritone rumble of Piccolo in his head, it made school difficult. On the trip, the physical activity seemed to help them retain independent thought. Now, with Gohan physically unable to move around and his brain in neutral, concentrating on completely different tasks than Piccolo felt impossible. Added to that, Gohan had not only his own aggravation, but also Piccolo's frustration and distain for petty human studies filling him as well. Growling in frustration, Gohan walked over to where the advanced students were waiting for him.

"Hey Brains!" Sharpener yelled. Gohan cringed. Did he have to be so loud? "We were wondering if you could maybe…"

Gohan did not catch the rest of that mumbled statement. "If I could what Sharpener?" he snapped irritably.

Instead of answering, Sharpener just stood staring at his feet. Videl took over, "Well, we" she gestured to the rest of the advanced students, "were wondering if you could train us the way Piccolo trained you?" Gohan just stared at her. "Well, it's just that you are so strong and fast. We were hoping to…." She broke off from her awkward request, because Gohan was no longer staring at her. He was on the floor laughing.

He tried to stop, he really did. But Piccolo was feeding him images of just what he should do to the bakas if he granted their request. Far away at his waterfall, Piccolo's day was finally getting better. Gohan's hilarity had drawn the attention from the rest of the class. Krillin walked over, wanting to know what set him off.

"We just asked if he would train us the same way Piccolo trained him." Videl answered, gesturing to him helplessly. Krillin looked at her for a moment, and then joined Gohan on the floor.

By now the entire class was standing around them. Sucking in a few deep breaths, Krillin wiped the tears from his face and turned to Gohan. "Don't you dare, don't even think about it Gohan! I want to keep my job."

"But Coach, we want him to!" Sharpener whined. He had never seen people do the things he had seen on that trip. It had made his own skills seem infantile in comparison.

"Do you even know what his training entailed?" Krillin demanded, exasperated.

"Well, I can't remember everything he said, but it couldn't have been that bad, after all he managed it when he was little." Videl interjected defensively. The initial shock of meeting the Demon King had made the memory a bit hazy.

Krillin looked at Gohan, silently demanding that he explain. Waving his hand in agreement, the still chuckling demi-saiyan rose from the ground.

"Okay, did you all enjoy your couple days out in the wilderness on your own?" Gohan asked. His answer was several shudders, no, no one had really enjoyed those two days. "Well, that was the first six months of my training; six months, in that very desert, completely on my own. After those six months, Piccolo and I sparred every day for a minimum of twelve hours. Though I guess at that point it wasn't really sparring. He beat me into a bloody pulp on a daily basis until I learned to keep up." Gohan sighed nostalgically; he really missed that time in his life. Bringing himself back to the present, he rubbed his hands together in anticipation, his eyes took on an unholy gleam. "Okay, let's get started. Since I cannot force you to stay in the wild for six months, we can just skip to the second half. Who's first?" As one, the entire class scrambled back from him.

"C-Coach?" Videl asked, her voice shaking, "Can we train with you today?" Miles away, Piccolo lost the battle and actually laughed aloud.

Krillin stood back and watched his class. He had the entire room working on drills, except Gohan. He had actually looked disappointed when no one had taken him up on his offer. In the interest of public safety, Krillin had him meditating across the room, hoping the kid was just having a bad day.

Looking over to his new charge, Krillin watched Videl work through her drills. She was definitely the strongest regular student in the class, at least physically. His face tightened in anger, as he recalled his conversation with the girl's father.

After 18 had taken Videl out for the day, he had left Marron with Bulma so he could have his discussion without his daughter's little ears present. Krillin was already angry with Satan and not just because of the Cell incident. The man had never bothered to check on his daughter the entire trip. When he had arrived at the mansion, all Krillin had had to say was one word, Gohan. That was it. The self-proclaimed savior of the world had turned into a spineless, sniveling, shuddering mass on the floor.

He had begged Krillin to protect him from the boy. That it wasn't his fault he had taken the credit. After all, it made perfect sense to lie through your teeth for years, right? After fifteen minutes of whining, begging, and crying, he finally remembered to ask after Videl. In the interest of Videl's feelings, Krillin had not helped the man into an early appointment with King Yemma, but it had been close.

Instead, he had calmly explained his wish for Videl to stay with his family. Krillin had stressed his desire to provide her with a little more stability and companionship in her home life. He had even gone so far as to offer the possible explanation to the press that Satan didn't want his baby alone while he went on tour. In a true moment of selflessness, Satan had agreed. Thanks to 18 having the paperwork ready for him, they were now Videl's official temporary guardians. She could stay with them for as long as she wanted.

Glancing at the clock, Krillin called an end to the class. "Good job today everyone, go hit the showers."


	17. Chapter 17

Disclaimer- I own nothing

Chapter 17

Enjoying the bright endless expanse of sky around him, Gohan flew to Capsule Corporation. Since Krillin had been unwilling to let him work with the other students today, which he had to admit was probably a good thing, he had spent his time talking with Piccolo. They had hit upon an interesting thought. If Gohan's ki net he had used on the trip nullified the physical ability to sense the ki of anyone caught in it, would it have a similar effect on a scouter?

Landing lightly beside the entrance, Gohan felt out Bulma's ki, finding it in her lab. He noted that Vegeta and Trunks were in the GR, probably training. He really did not want to be pulled into a spar right now. Avoiding that hallway, he took the long away around.

"Hey kiddo!" Bulma said brightly. She had started to exit the lab just as Gohan approached it. "I'm glad you're here. I have something for you." Gesturing for him to follow, the excited woman led the way back into her lab. Searching through the pile on her desk, she held out an envelope.

Gohan silently opened the envelope and examined the contents. Feeling his knees weaken, he sat down heavily in a chair. It was a check, made out in his name, for 25,698.45 zeni. Not trusting his voice, he looked up at Bulma in shock, raising an eyebrow in question.

"Gohan, remember, you get a portion of the sales from your kit." Bulma said gently. "We released it for preorder at the start of your class's trip. That's your percentage of the profits. We are currently sold out with a three week waiting list."

Gohan stared at the numbers, they didn't change. He had a small fortune in his hand all from a simple idea.

'_It was not that simple and you know it kid.'_ Piccolo stated gruffly.

'_But it was simp-'_

'_Try telling that to someone that doesn't know better. You had to develop the technology for those kits, making them light enough to carry and wearable so no one would lose it. Now snap out of it, Bulma's talking to you.'_

Snapping his attention back to Bulma, he tried to comprehend what she was telling him. She wanted him to do freelance work for CC. She was offering him a chance to have a completely flexible means of supporting himself and his family. Nodding slightly, he agreed.

Bulma sighed quietly. She was not entirely sure if Gohan had really understood her or not. Deciding to discuss it with him again when he was a little more coherent, she asked. "Now, since I know you didn't show up for your paycheck, why did you stop by?"

"Oh, uhm, scouter, I wanted to see if you had a scouter." He answered distractedly.

"Sure, I made up a few of them a while back. Hold on a sec." Bulma walked over to a massive cabinet and pulled out the requested technology. "Here you go, but why do you need one?"

"Oh, just wanted to try a theory out. Thanks Bulma." Gohan got up, and headed for a window. He needed to be outside, now.

"No problem." Gohan didn't hear her, he was already gone.

Landing beside Piccolo, the two started working. Standing back from Gohan, Piccolo waited while he cast his net around him. Piccolo was still able feel Gohan's ki through their link. Though he noted that physically, the reassuring pulse of his friend's energy was absent. Putting the scouter to his face, he activated it.

Nothing, the net was able to fool even the device. Slowly rising into the air, Piccolo kept the scouter trained on Gohan. As he reached a height of about 15 feet, he flew in an arch over the still figure below. Suddenly the scouter started beeping wildly, picking up Gohan's energy signal.

'_Well that's annoying.'_

'_Kid, unless you expect the enemy to stay at exactly at your height, you've got one hell of a hole.' _

Gohan let the net dissipate, a pensive look upon his face. Piccolo just sat back and watched him work. It never ceased to amaze him what a quick and agile mind Gohan possessed. Images, thoughts, reasoning, all flashed through Piccolo's mind at an astonishing pace.

Satisfied he that had thought of a workable solution, Gohan nodded to his sensei. Building and weaving his ki together, he cast it away in a perfect sphere. Once again, Piccolo flew around and over him, the scouter never made a sound. Satisfied, Gohan began to move around within the bubble, but as he approached the perimeter, the little device showed signs of picking him up, emitting sporadic beeps.

Frowning in thought, Gohan examined the outer edges of his ki sphere. It seemed to bleed into nothingness instead of having a sharp outline. Returning to the center, Gohan began weaving a tight lattice of ki, condensing the layers tightly together before pushing the new sphere into place. Moving to the very edge, he felt as though he had hit a solid wall.

'_The scouter is not picking anything up now. Without our link, I wouldn't be able to sense you either. But...'_

'_Yeah, I know, but.'_ The ki sphere had a weakness, one that would quickly render it useless in a real fight. It stayed anchored in place. Meaning if Gohan was not careful, he would exit its boundaries. It needed to move with him. Returning to the center once again, he carefully collected the strands he had left as an anchor. Hooking the strands into his own ki, the sphere became mobile.

Gohan and Piccolo worked together for several hours, trying to master the technique. Piccolo could now cast his own sphere, though it was not as dense as Gohan's yet. Fortunately, maintaining the sphere was effortless compared the monstrous net he had cast over the desert. Either that or his ability had been strengthened by the extreme strain of holding it for so long.

Leaving his friend for the night, Gohan flew for home. The moment Gohan's feet touched the ground; he was bombarded by the whirlwind otherwise known as Goten. "Hey squirt."

"Hi Gohan, I got to spend the day with Mom and we went to the store and we got lotsa food and we-"

"Whoa, slow down buddy. You went grocery shopping with Mom today?" Gohan asked.

"Yep! And dinner's ready and I'm really hungry and Mom's mad." He finished happily.

"Why is Mom mad?"

"Cause your school called and Mom yelled really loud at the principal guy and then Mom broke some dishes and then she yelled really loud again and-"

"Okay Goten, slow down, breathe." Gohan ordered, Goten just beamed at him. Gohan smiled in return. His little brother was a constant source of sunshine in his life. Gohan slowly entered the house. He had no idea why the principal had called his mother. But if she was that upset about it, caution seemed healthy. "Mom, I'm home."

Chi-Chi came charging out of her kitchen domain. "Son Gohan you have some serious explaining to do!" She shrieked.

Gohan gave her a confused look. Had he been that bad at school?

"Your principal called. How could you? You were supposed to blend in, make friends, and find a nice girl. I want grandbabies! How can you provide me with grandbabies if you leave school early?" Chi-Chi's voice had been rising in volume and pitch with every word.

Wincing in pain, his hands over his ears, Gohan risked asking, "Leave school early?"

"He wants you to graduate early! That horrible man said his teachers had nothing for you to do! What did you do?"

Lowering his hands, Gohan considered his mother. He respected and loved her; she was a strong and determined person. However, he also found her utterly frustrating sometimes. Knowing this was her way of ensuring his happiness, he chose his words carefully. "My first day of school, I solved a simple equation. From there, I had every teacher asking me some basic questions." Gohan sighed; he really did not want to upset her.

'_She has to know kid.'_

'_I know, but telling her that I don't want to be a scholar will break her heart.'_

'_So what, you'll spend the rest of our lives with your nose in a book?' _Piccolo asked, mentally shuddering in revulsion at the thought.

'_No. I won't do that to either of us.' _Turning his attention back to his mother, he continued. "It turns out that that simple equation and those basic questions weren't so simple to everyone else. I've spent everyday since just biding my time, waiting for the day to end."

"Well they will need to find something for you to do! I want you to stay and find a nice girl. You'll get married and I'll get grandbabies!" She approached him, shaking a finger. "My baby is going to finish school with all of his little friends, then go to a university, and become a great scholar. None of that will happen if you leave school now."

"Um, Mom, I'm only 17, isn't that a little young to marry?" Gohan asked, laughing. Then a disturbing thought hit him. To give his mother her coveted grandchildren, he had to find a mate and be well, with her. He and Piccolo were tied together in nearly every sense. That meant that Piccolo would also be participating in every way but physically.

'_Stop right there kid! I don't need that image in my head!'_ A horrified Piccolo shouted.

Shaking the images away and ignoring the Namekian curses running through his mind, he saw his mother tapping her foot. She had noticed his inattention. Sighing again, he gathered his courage. "Mom, I really wouldn't mind leaving school early. I do not like it there."

"No! You will stay for the remainder of the year. You have to have friends Gohan."

"I do have friends Mom. Would they stop being my friends just because I no longer attended school?"

"That is not the point. I need you in school. Normal kids go to school. For once I want you to have the chance to be normal!" Tears were forming in Chi-Chi's eyes. Her oldest son's lack of a childhood troubled her deeply. This was her way of making up for that and no one was going to stop her.

Gohan sighed in defeat. He could not stand to see his mother cry. "Okay Mom, I'll wait to graduate if it's that important to you. But, I do not want to spend the rest of my life studying. I need more than that. Here, I have something to show you." Reaching into his pocket, he withdrew the check Bulma had given him and handed it to her. Fortunately for Chi-Chi, her son was fast enough to catch her when she fainted.


	18. Chapter 18

Disclaimer- I own nothing

Chapter 18

Over the next course of the next 2 weeks, Gohan and Piccolo developed a simple method to stay sane. At the start of every class, Gohan would take fifteen to twenty minutes to complete his work while Piccolo meditated quietly. Then, it was Piccolo's turn to work with Dende while Gohan stayed quiet.

Their afternoon training sessions had been progressing nicely. They had figured out how to anchor the ki sphere to both of them, so it traveled with them. In addition, Piccolo had come up with a way to make it more flexible so it stretched and moved even if they were at opposite ends. The modifications meant they could actually spar within the sphere without Gohan's immense power damaging their surroundings.

Gohan had been unable to convince Chi-Chi to let him graduate early, but she was willing to considering his feelings on his future. Gohan planned to take Bulma up on her job offer. It was something he not only enjoyed, but both he and Piccolo could live with.

Sitting in class Friday afternoon, Gohan could feel Piccolo returning to his waterfall. Dende's lesson had not gone well. The young Kami had been tense and distracted, acting as though he did not fit into his own skin. _'What could be bothering him so much Piccolo? I've never seen Dende act that like.'_

'_I'm not sure, but you know what a concerned Kami usually means.'_

Gohan grimaced. Hearing the bell ring, he automatically got up and headed for gym, absorbed in his conversation with Piccolo. Inattentive to his actions and surroundings, he did not notice the attention of the entire class on him.

Krillin did not like the look on Gohan's face. He had only seen it a few times before and never under happy circumstances.

"Coach, what's with Brains?" Sharpener asked quietly.

Krillin turned his attention to the class and the expectant eyes that had been drilling a hole into his back. Ever since not only finding out about Gohan's past, but also realizing what he had done to himself in order to keep them all safe on the field trip, the entire class had developed an almost proprietary attitude towards him. Even if the rest of the world did not know who he was, they did. Therefore, if something was upsetting their Gohan, they wanted to know about it. Krillin doubted Gohan was even aware of it.

"I'm not sure. Leave him be about it. If he wants you to know, he'll tell you." The class nodded glumly, they just wanted to help him. Struck with a sudden thought, he turned back to Gohan. "Yo, Earth to Gohan!"

Ripping his thoughts away from Dende's disturbing behavior, Gohan walked over to Krillin, crossing his arms over his chest, he cocked a brow in question.

Krillin smiled, Gohan had looked just like Piccolo for a moment. "I've noticed a lack of basic control in the class's movements; overextending, not extending far enough, and so on. Since you learned from the master of control, why don't you teach the entire class today? Piccolo must have taught you something that would help."

Gohan had seen what Krillin was talking about. Ever since returning from the desert, most of the class was trying to emulate the way they had seen the Z-Warriors move. However, without the foreknowledge and proper training, it would not be long before someone was seriously injured. Gohan nodded to Krillin, accepting, after all, he was right. No one was more controlled than Piccolo and he knew something that might help.

"I'll lead. Can you walk the room and correct please?" After spacing everyone out, Gohan began a very slow kata. Miles away, Piccolo joined him in the calming exercise, their bodies moving as one despite the distance. The motions captivated the students. They had a beautiful fluidic grace to them that belied the strain and control it took to complete each one. "Follow my movements. Feel each breath, slow and steady. You decide when to exhale, not the demands of the body; control each one. Pull from your center. Let that calm energy flow through to your fingers. Power, strength, they are nothing without control."

Krillin quietly walked amongst his students, carefully correcting posture or stance. It was as though Gohan had cast a spell over them. No one made a sound; everything was concentrated on the repetitive motions, so achingly slow that it took everything the teens had to control their shaking muscles.

By the end of class, both Gohan and Piccolo felt better. They had decided that Gohan would go to the Lookout after school. Maybe Dende would feel comfortable confiding in him. Hearing the bell, Gohan quickly exited, hoping he could help with whatever was bothering his friend.

Dende waved goodbye to his friend sadly. He knew why Gohan had come to visit him. After all, since Piccolo knew something was bothering him then Gohan knew. But he had no idea what to tell him. He did not know what was wrong; the feeling was just there. The young Kami decided to let it ride for a while. He did not want to worry anyone over what was probably nothing at all.

Growling lightly in frustration, Gohan joined Piccolo in the desert. Dende was not sharing. Whatever was bothering him did not appear to be a threat to the Earth that anyone else could sense. However, whatever it was bothered him enough to be inattentive in his duties. Dende was very dedicated to his charges; he would not be this distracted over nothing.

Turning to Piccolo, the two warriors cast their ki sphere together. They wanted to try something new today. After powering into an Ascended Super Saiyan, Gohan suppressed his power. He wanted to maintain his Ascended form, but keep his energy at par with the first level. Meanwhile, Piccolo powered up to his maximum. By keeping their respective energy levels at those points, both warriors would gain strength and increase their control.

Reveling in the fact that it was a Friday afternoon and they had the whole weekend ahead of them, the friends began. Advancing, Piccolo went on the offense. Concentrating his ki into each hit, he searched for a break in Gohan's defenses. Spinning suddenly, the half-breed kicked at his sensei's ribs, just as Piccolo's fist connected with his jaw.

Slamming into the ground, they smirked at each other. Blasting back into the sky, they met once more. The concussive force of their blows reverberated inside of the sphere, buffeting them with leftover energy. Piccolo phased in above Gohan and attempted to hit him with a Masenko. Reacting purely on instinct, Gohan reached up and grabbed Piccolo's ankles, throwing him into his own attack.

Before the Namek could recover, Gohan fired his own Masenko blast. The force buried Piccolo into a canyon wall. A spiral of yellow energy burst forth from Piccolo's rocky resting place. Caught off guard, Gohan's only warning was his friend's satisfaction. Dodging, he tried to regain the upper hand.

Blow after blow, they continued in their relentless assault. Each struggling to neither rise above or fall below the predetermined energy levels. Gohan called a sudden halt. Vegeta was a few hundred yards away at the edge of the sphere, with a livid expression on his face.

Chi-Chi set the table and sighed in annoyance. She knew Gohan had planned to spar with that Monster after school, but he was late for dinner. Glancing at her youngest she said, "Goten sweetie, go find your brother for me okay? Tell him to come home for dinner."

"Okay Mommy!" Goten called out happily, dashing for the door. Skidding to a sudden halt, he turned back to his mother, a puzzled look on his face. "Mommy, I can't feel Gohan."

"What are you talking about sweetie?"

"Gohan taught me how to sense his ki, that way I could always find him if I needed to. I can't feel him. Where is he?" The little boy looked alarmed; he had always known where his brother was. Not knowing was disconcerting.

"Goten, you cannot sense your brother's ki at all?" Chi-Chi asked frantically. The only reason in her experience for someone's ki to disappear was either severe injuries or death. Terrified that the Monster had hurt her baby, she ran to the phone and called Bulma, hoping Vegeta would be able to find her son.

Racing through CC, Bulma hit the emergency shutdown on the GR. Bursting into the room she opened her mouth to speak; Vegeta beat her to it.

"Woman! What do you think you are doing?" Vegeta demanded, growling at his mate irritably.

"Vegeta, can you sense, Gohan? Can you tell where he is?" She asked urgently.

"You interrupted my training to ask me that!"

"Shut up Vegeta! Goten can't sense him, he can't find him! Please!"

Still glaring at her, Vegeta extended his senses to find the boy. Kakabrat would have to pay for this interruption. The glare fell from his face; a frown replaced it. Where was he?

"Vegeta?"

"Wait Woman." Concentrating, he increased his search, nothing, not even the smallest trace of the boy's energy. Though he would never admit that to anyone, his inability to find Gohan worried him. He began searching for Piccolo's ki. If you found the Green Bean, you inevitably found Gohan. Vegeta's eyes met Bulma's; Piccolo and Gohan were gone.

"V-Vegeta?" Bulma asked, terrified by the look she saw in his eyes.

Walking over to his mate, he pulled her close. "I cannot sense the boy or the Namek. There are only two explanations; they are either dead or close to it."

"No! Please, Vegeta, you have to find them." Bulma's eyes filled with tears. They had already lost Goku, they couldn't lose Gohan too.

Nodding sharply, he released her and ran from the room. Deciding to first search the areas the pair were known to frequent, Vegeta headed for the waterfall. He was genuinely upset that the boy might be gone. While it disgusted him to no end that a mere child had surpassed him, at least the child had Saiyan blood. Arriving at Piccolo's waterfall, he searched the surrounding area carefully.

Empty handed, he raced for the desert they were so fond of. The sight of the two missing warriors sparring rather than unconscious or dead surprised the Saiyan Prince. Vegeta once again attempted to feel their ki, still nothing. Frustrated and angry that he had indulged in a moment of emotional weakness, he snarled at them. Then he noticed that Gohan was fighting in his Ascended form against the Namek. To his astonishment, he watched Piccolo meeting him blow for blow. Did that mean that he had been surpassed yet again?

Roaring in rage, he flew engrossed pair. He did not make it very far. A few hundred yards away from them, he was forced to stop. The air felt thick and hot, and he could not push through the invisible barrier.

Gohan turned toward Vegeta, noting his apparent anger. The two powered down to their resting rates and Gohan lowered the barrier.

Suddenly able to feel their ki, Vegeta charged the objects of his frustration and blasted the two of them. As the smoke cleared, Gohan and Piccolo hovered, unharmed by his attack. Gohan had gotten very good at ki shields.

"What can we do for you Vegeta?" Gohan asked.

A vein starting pulsing on Vegeta's forehead and his eyelid twitched. "What do you bakas think you are doing?"

"I think it's called sparring." Piccolo answered.

Growling, Vegeta blasted them again. "The Harpy called the Woman blathering about Kakabrat #2 being unable to find you. You disturbed my training time. Now, what in hell were you doing? Why couldn't I feel your ki? What was that barrier?"

Gohan brushed the questions to the side and focused on what was important to him. "Wait, Goten was trying to find me?" A sick hollow feeling filled his chest as he realized he had distressed his family. Turning towards his home, he started to leave. Vegeta blocked his path.

"I don't think so. First, you will answer my questions and then you will go to the Woman. After that you will be allowed to go to the Harpy." Vegeta stated arrogantly. There was no way he as letting the brat go without answers, especially after worrying his mate.

'_Piccolo?'_

'_Sure kid.'_ Piccolo blasted off to CC to speak with Bulma.

Gohan turned his attention back to the Saiyan Prince. "Piccolo is letting Bulma know we are alright. You will move. I need to get home." His voice was low and calm, but inside he was frantic in his need to get home.

The vein in Vegeta's forehead seemed to increase in size. He aimed for Gohan, charging up yet another blast. Suddenly Gohan was behind him, Vegeta had not been able to follow the movement. "I gave you two free shots, but you are trying my patience. Control yourself. Now, I apologize for distressing Bulma that was not my intention. You and I both know you don't like anything upsetting her. Piccolo has already reached CC. She is fine and I will apologize to her myself later. I might also consider answering your questions at some point, but not right now. I need to attend to my family first." Leaping into the air, Gohan sped toward his home.

The excess energy knocked Vegeta back a step. Shaking his head in annoyance, he watched him leave. Vegeta returned to his GR, thinking that for his sake, the Namek had better have sufficiently calmed Bulma.

Gohan landed outside of his home. Running inside, he found Goten and scooped him into his arms.

"Big Brother! You're home!" Goten shouted happily, all of his previous concern instantly melting away.

"Yup," he said, squeezing him tightly, "I am so sorry if I worried you Goten. I was practicing a new technique and-"

"Son Gohan!" Cringing lightly, Gohan turned to face the music.


	19. Chapter 19

A/N- Wow, I have 64 reviews and 4 full pages of emails from all of you! It is humbling and amazing. I enjoying reading your thoughts on what I have done and I appreciate the time it takes out of your day to do so. Thanks again, and on to today's chapter.

Disclaimer- I own nothing

Chapter 19

Gohan watched in horror as Krillin's face turned blue, pained gasps escaping his lips. There was blood everywhere and Frieza's cruel, mocking laugh seemed to echo from all around him. Suddenly he found himself staring into Cell's pink eyes, as an immense blast headed straight for Vegeta. He couldn't move, he'd never make it in time! The load roar of thunder woke Gohan up.

Shaking and disoriented, he sat up, sweat gleaming on his bare chest. Running a trembling hand through his hair, he looked out the window at the stars. There were stars, not clouds he mused. Reality adjusted and he realized Piccolo had woken up, pulling him from his nightmares. Glancing at the clock, the red numbers mocked him, 1:02 am; he had only been asleep for 10 minutes this time. It had been a bad night. Every time he closed his eyes, the horrific images bombarded his mind. The feeling he had failed Goten on some level by worrying him was probably the trigger for tonight's torment.

Feeling Piccolo heading for him, Gohan rose from his bed. After grabbing a shirt, he floated down to the kitchen, not wanting to wake anyone else up. Leaving a quick note on the table, he met his friend outside.

Settling under a large tree at the edge of the yard, the two companions slid into identical floating poses. Piccolo pulled Gohan into a deep meditation. If the kid couldn't sleep, then this was the next best thing.

Gohan sighed in relief. Piccolo was able to reach a level of meditation that he could not. It was soft and deep, so very restful. Over the years on the nights when his nightmares chased him relentlessly, Piccolo would come to him. Pulling him into that wonderful place where he could rest without fear.

Chi-Chi woke up a little while after dawn. She had not slept well. Hearing Gohan calling out in his sleep had kept her up worrying about him. She had learned not to try to wake him when his past haunted him. Unaware of his surroundings, he could easily harm those around him if startled.

She felt guilty for yelling at Gohan last night and hoped it had not triggered his restless night. Chi-Chi knew he had never meant to worry anyone; it simply was not in his nature. After she had finished lecturing him, he had explained the incident. Ever the protector, her son had come up with a bubble-like shield. He could keep whoever was inside his bubble safe. He had also told her that it could in turn protect the area around him from the damaging effect of his energy. She recalled the haunted look on his face as he swore he would never again use the technique without warning them first. His eyes had looked so miserable as he held onto Goten, silently begging their forgiveness.

Heading into the kitchen, a note caught her eye. Shaking her head, she glanced out the window. There was her baby, with him, the bane of her existence, the man that had stolen her son all those years ago and had never truly given him back. Annoyed she began rooting through the cabinets, finding what she needed for breakfast.

Setting a kettle onto the stove, she sat for a moment. Sighing, she rested her head on her hands. She was not being fair to Gohan. If she was honest with herself, she had been snapping at him for a couple weeks now, angry about something that was not his fault.

Waiting for him at CC after that class trip, all of the kids kept talking about how wonderful Gohan had been. Almost like a superhero, dashing in to rescue them. But she had noticed that no one talked about just spending time with him out there. It was frustrating to realize the he had been too busy taking care of everyone else to simply enjoy the trip.

Then his teacher had approached her. The man had thanked her, telling her how Gohan had kept everyone out of mischief, including him. Then he had blind-sided her. Saying how wonderful it was that Gohan had such a strong and dedicated father figure in his life.

Chi-Chi had been so upset she couldn't remember answering the man. Father figure? Had Gohan's teacher honestly just referred to Piccolo as her son's father figure? Not only that, but it had been said with such respect towards the Namekian. As the kettle started to whistle, she rose, pulling it off the fire.

Pulling out a couple cups, she found herself staring at Gohan's favorite mug. On his last birthday, it had just suddenly appeared in front of him. She knew it had been a gift from Piccolo. The mug was a deep plum color with foreign symbols etched around the rim. Gohan had laughed reading the message.

However, it was not the cup's message that made Gohan so happy. It was the construction; the mug was thick and heavy, weighing at least ten pounds. Gohan had told her it was the first time in years he did not feel like he was going to break his cup just by holding it wrong. Piccolo knew her son so well that he had seen how much the simple gift would mean to him.

Leaving the tea to steep, she glance out the window again. Her little boy looked so peaceful. His face was completely relaxed and his posture lacked its usual rigidity as he floated in tandem with Piccolo. Looking back, she realized that Piccolo had always been there for him. He came whenever the nightmares chased Gohan in his sleep. Sometimes, when she noticed Gohan's mood slipping, Piccolo would pull him away. Her son would return a few hours later, content.

All she wanted for him was a happy, normal life with a wife, kids, a home, and the career she had always envisioned for him. Sending him to school was her way of giving him an opportunity to have life. But her little boy wasn't so little anymore. He was a strong man, with his own wants and plans. While she still felt it would be good for him to finish the school year out, she would respect his wishes on his future. A freelance inventor, she had never seen that one coming.

Still looking out at the floating figures, Chi-Chi reflected on that statement once again, a strong and dedicated father figure. She supposed that was true and maybe it was time she started accepting it. She filled a tall glass with fresh water and grabbed Gohan's mug of tea, curls of steam drifting from its contents. Walking outside, she handed each man his respective morning beverage and walked back into the house to start breakfast.

Piccolo blinked in surprise. The Banshee Woman had just all but shoved a glass of water at him. She had not even yelled at him for being too close to her home, let alone the fact that Gohan was outside. Staring at the water suspiciously, he wondered if it was poisoned.

'_No, she wouldn't poison you.'_ Gohan grinned at his sensei over the rim of his cup. He was relaxed and content from their meditation.

'_Then care to explain?'_

'_Maybe she was just being nice. She is a very kind person Piccolo.'_

Piccolo had seen Gohan's memories. From the kid's point of view, he knew that Chi-Chi was a loving and caring woman, even if her methods tended to be a bit abrasive. However, he had never been on the receiving end of her softer side. Deciding to risk it, he sipped his water.

Dende paced in agitation high above the Earth. His dreams had been fragmented, disturbed images of pain, hatred, and terrifying blankness. More than once, he had run to edge of the Lookout, frantically searching the planet below. Whatever this was, it seemed to be getting worse.

"King Kai? Sir, are you there?" Dende tentatively reached out to his superior.

"Yes Dende, I'm here. What can I do for the Earth's Guardian today?"

"Well, sir, I need your help. There is something wrong. I do not know what it is, it does not appear to be on Earth, but it is horrible. I can feel whatever it is pressing down on me. There is nothing physically there but..." He trailed off helplessly.

"Hmm, interesting. Are you the only one sensing this presence?"

"Yes King Kai. No one else seems bothered by it."

"Give me a moment, I'll scan around. Being a Kami, you might be sensing something approaching your planet." King Kai was silent for several minutes.

Dende waited anxiously, feeling almost foolish. What if it was nothing after all?

"No!" King Kai screamed.

"Sir, what is it, what do you see?"


	20. Chapter 20

A/N- I am happy that everyone enjoyed Chi-Chi's chapter so much! I had a lot of fun setting her up for her epiphany moment. Yes, I know cliffhangers are evil. I have tried to divide the rest up in a nice way, well at least to a certain extent. Thank you again for all of your reviews. Now, on to today's installment!

Disclaimer- I own nothing

Chapter 20

Chi-Chi listened to Goten's laughter ringing out from the bathroom. Gohan was giving him his bath and from the sounds, she was fairly certain Goten was trying his best to drown his brother. Deciding to take advantage of the boys' distraction, she walked outside.

On the far side of the yard Piccolo leaned against a tree, his arms crossed over his chest. He was waiting for Gohan to finish helping his little brother. Chi-Chi had actually given the kid permission to spend his weekend training. While Piccolo was uncertain what had brought about her sudden change in attitude, he found himself strangely grateful for it. Hearing the door open, he looked up in time to the woman in question start walking towards him. He straightened from the tree, waiting.

Chi-Chi stood before the imposing figure of her son's best friend, taking a deep breath she looked up at him, meeting his eyes. "I need to apologize to you Piccolo."

In a rare moment of complete surprise, Piccolo dropped his arms, his eyes widening.

Chi-Chi tried not to smile; she had never seen that look on his face before. "I may never completely forgive you for taking Gohan away, but, you do deserve my respect for everything you have done for him since then. It may take me some time to feel comfortable around you, but you are welcome here."

Piccolo could feel Gohan's shock, pleasure, and pride coursing through him. After all this time, neither had ever expected Chi-Chi to accept him. Opening his mouth to respond, Piccolo was cut off by Krillin.

"Piccolo something's wrong! Dende wants everyone one the Lookout now! Grab Gohan and hurry!" Krillin shouted, landing near the two. Having heard Krillin through Piccolo, Gohan came barreling out of the house. He held a slightly damp, but clean and dressed Goten. He on the other hand, was soaking wet and still in his pajamas. Responding to Gohan's silent request, Piccolo zapped his traditional gi and shoes onto his friend.

Nodding his thanks, he turned to his mother, handing Goten to her. "Call Nimbus and meet us at the Lookout."

Chi-Chi never had a chance to answer as the three blasted off, answering the call of the Earth's Guardian.

One by one, all of the Z-Warriors gathered upon the Lookout. Vegeta had arrived first, carrying Bulma, with Trunks flying proudly beside his father. Tien and Chiaotzu landed next, followed closely by Yamcha. Barely a moment passed before Piccolo, Krillin, and Gohan's feet touched the tiled courtyard. Finally, a small yellow cloud bearing Chi-Chi and Goten came to a halt. Everyone turned to Dende expectantly, jumping slightly when King Kai spoke instead.

"Dende, the evil you sensed is not on Earth, but it will eventually threaten it and everything else." King Kai said his voice was hesitant, as though loath to continue.

"Would someone explain why I am here instead of in my Gravity Room if there is no one on Earth to battle?" Vegeta demanded irritably. He hated long drawn out explanations and simply wanted the Kai to get on with it. As everyone was used to his antics, the outburst was ignored.

"On New Namek, there is a man; a remnant from Frieza's army, his name is Mavoy." King Kai was interrupted.

"Hahaha, you called us all out here for that? Mavoy is a low power clown with only a single trick." Vegeta brayed loudly.

"What trick?" Yamcha asked.

"He can possess the mind of a single being, as long as they are weaker than he is. He can then force them into his servitude." Vegeta said disdainfully.

"King Kai, are the other Nameks alright?" Dende asked.

Sighing King Kai continued, "No Dende, they are not. That low power clown, as you put it Vegeta, used the dragonballs. His power is enormous, higher than anything you have ever faced. More than that, he has enslaved the minds of the entire planet. They are completely under his control, bending to his every want."

Dende gasped quietly.

"Is he still on the planet?" Gohan asked.

"Yes, and with the Namekian people under his control, he will be able to use the dragonballs again and again."

"Well, I missed Namek the first time around, I'm in!" Yamcha shouted. Tien and Chiaotzu quickly stepped forward as well.

"No! It won't work. The moment you step foot on the planet he'll gain control of your mind, you will become his slave." King Kai said.

"Well we have to do something! We can't just…." Krillin trailed off, Gohan and Piccolo's actions catching his eye. Slowly, everyone else turned as well. The two appeared to be having an argument, judging by Gohan's abrupt hand motions and Piccolo's body language, but they weren't speaking.

'_There is no way in hell you are going alone kid.'_

'_Why are you being so stubborn? I'll be okay, it's my family I'm worried about. If you stay-'_

'_Forget it! Besides, we don't know if that kind of distance will affect our mental protection. What happens if he takes you over?'_

'_Piccolo-'_

'_No, not happening.'_

'_Then who will look after them? I will not allow Goten to be responsible for their safety, he's just a kid!'_

'_One of the others can stay with them. We, and I do mean we, will go.'_

'_Fine!' _Gohan tugged his hands irritably through his long mane, glaring at Piccolo_. 'I don't like the idea of taking one of Bulma's spaceships. Not only the time it will take to travel, but also we will be surrounded the instant we land.'_

'_That just leaves the dragonballs, but you do realize we'll be stuck until the Namekian balls recharge.'_

'_Of course I know that! Why else would I be concerned about my family being alone? This will not be a quick trip!'_

Growling lightly, Piccolo waited for Gohan to reign in his temper. He knew the thought of leaving his mother and brother alone was killing Gohan. Images of him being alone and left behind as a child, having to fight in his father's place, flooded Piccolo's mind. Taking a cleansing breath, Gohan nodded sharply, pulling his memories firmly back under control.

"Dende?"

"Yes King Kai?"

"Gohan and Piccolo are leaving everyone out of their conversation again, aren't they?" King Kai asked.

"Gohan, Piccolo? Is everything alright?" Chi-Chi asked.

Gohan and Piccolo, finally realizing they had an audience, turned to the others. They were staring at the two of them, perplexed expressions on their faces.

'_Piccolo? I can't remember, was all of that out loud or not?'_

'_From the looks, I'm thinking no.'_

"Everything is fine Mom." Gohan answered.

"When are you two leaving?" King Kai asked calmly. He was well aware that they were the only ones that stood a chance at even approaching Mavoy due to their psychic protection.

"As soon as possible King Kai," Gohan answered. "We plan on collecting the dragonballs. By wishing ourselves there, we will have the element of surprise on our side."

"Remember, the dragon would have granted Mavoy three wishes. From what I can see, he used the first wish for physical power and the second to increase his psychic ability. But as to the third, I do not know. Hurry and good luck." With that, King Kai's presence faded from the Lookout.

Chi-Chi rounded on her son. "What do you mean you are leaving? You heard him. That creature will possess you the moment you step foot on the planet." Tears filled her eyes as she tried to make her son understand.

Gently hugging his mother and brother, Gohan interrupted her. "We'll be okay. Tien, Chiaotzu, Yamcha?" He turned to the unattached warriors. "Please look after them for me while we're gone. Don't leave them alone."

They nodded slowly at the teen, understanding the full implications of the request. Gohan was not just referring to the duration of the upcoming battle. He was asking for a lifetime commitment should he fail to return.

"Bulma, I need to go get the dragon radar. Where is it?" he asked, turning to the blue haired beauty.

"I brought it with me, just in case." She walked over to Gohan and hugged him before handing him the radar.

'_Piccolo?'_

'_I know kid. It's okay.'_ Piccolo felt what Gohan needed. He could not leave with everyone believing they were going to their deaths.

Turning to Dende, Gohan asked. "We have to gather the balls. Dende, can you explain enough to make them understand, please?" He waited for his friend to nod. Turning back to his family, he kneeled down at his brother's level. "Goten, I have to go away for a while to help some old friends. Now, Tien, Chiaotzu, and Yamcha are going to take care of you and Mom until Piccolo and I get back. I need you to listen to them. I want you to have lots of fun while I'm gone okay? I will want to hear all about it when I get back. I love you."

"O-okay Gohan." Goten sniffled. His big brother had never been gone more than the occasional trip with Piccolo and it never felt like this.

Rising, Gohan hugged his mother. "I love you Mom, we'll be back before you know it." Chi-Chi nodded while returning his hug, her voice failing her.

Moving as one, Piccolo and Gohan leapt off the edge of the Lookout. Gohan tucked his unruly emotions to the side; they had work to do.

The silence was thick and heavy on the Lookout after they left. Shaking, Chi-Chi turned to Dende, "Explain."

Dende nodded glumly, he was not looking forward to this. "Just a moment please. Baba? Can you hear me?"

"Yes I can hear you Dende, what do you want?" Baba answered her tone disgruntled.

"Please come to the Lookout, we may need your help." Dende assumed that the grumble he heard was a yes. Turning his attention back to Chi-Chi, he wondered how he was supposed to explain her son's unique situation.

"Why did you call that Baba person?" Vegeta asked.

"Oh, Baba is a gifted fortune teller. With her crystal ball, we will be able to watch the battle." Dende answered, grateful for the distraction.

"Dende answers, now. How is it that King Kai said that this Mavoy person can possess anyone, but he was fine with Gohan and Piccolo going?"

"Because, no one can enter Gohan's or Piccolo's mind, not even King Kai. They are protected from any outside psychic intrusions." Dende said carefully.

"How did Kakabrat manage that one?"

Glaring at Vegeta for a moment, Krillin turned to the Guardian. "Is this about what happened that night?"

"Yes Krillin, though that wasn't the true beginning." Facing Chi-Chi once more, Dende began, "Six years ago…"


	21. Chapter 21

A/N—Okay, starting in this chapter I have added breaks (-) to help distinguish between the two planets. I hope that cuts down on confusion. Thank you again to everyone that has read, enjoyed, and/or reviewed.

Disclaimer- I own nothing

Chapter 21

Chi-Chi sat in the garden, staring blankly at the delicate flowers. She knew everyone was watching her, waiting for her to do something. Looking to the side, she saw Trunks and Goten chasing each other, laughing. Mr. Popo was a silent guardian standing next to them; she knew they would be fine. It was Gohan that she wasn't so sure about.

Dende had explained to her that her son and Piccolo had somehow joined their minds. He had been unable to tell her how or why it had happened. While the reason for it may have been unclear, the result was not. According what he had told her, the two shared every thought and emotion, at all times. She had the strangest feeling that Dende was not telling her something important. There had been a definite uneasiness about him.

Suddenly Chi-Chi started laughing, startling the others present. She put a hand to her mouth, trying to stifle the noise, but it burst forth regardless of her intentions.

"Chi-Chi, are you okay?" Bulma asked concerned, walking over to her.

Nodding, Chi-Chi continued to laugh. "Think about it Bulma, their minds are linked, do you know what that means?"

Shaking her head, Bulma hoped that Chi-Chi was not about to crack.

"I sent Piccolo to school!" There was a brief moment of silence and then everyone erupted into fits of laughter. Each one picturing the Namekian warrior, sitting in a desk with a schoolbook in hand.

Arriving at the Lookout, Baba snorted at the laughing group. "Well I'm here Dende, what do you need?"

"Thank you Baba." Dende bowed politely to the small pink haired witch. "Piccolo and Gohan have to travel to New Namek to face a threat. I was hoping you would help us by keeping track of them on your crystal ball."

Nodding to the Guardian, Baba slid off her perch and focused on finding the traveling warriors. As Gohan's image came into focus, those watching leaned in with rapt attention.

"Where's Piccolo?"

"Probably off after a different ball. Think about it, if they share thoughts, then they can see the radar through the other's eyes."

Chi-Chi could hear the murmur of conversation around her, but could not place who was speaking. All of her attention was focused on the lone figure reflected within the ball's depths.

Gohan glanced at the radar once again. He was confident that he was in the right place, but the endless expanse of ice and snow was daunting. Slowly powering up, he allowed the heat of his aura to melt the ice below him. Finally, after going down several feet, the little orange ball came into focus.

'_That makes all seven.'_

'_Yeah, remember that island I passed on my way down here Piccolo?'_

'_Meet you there kid.'_

Setting down on the tiny island, Gohan waited for Piccolo. However, he supposed that calling it an island was being extremely generous. It was no more than a bit of sand, maybe 20 feet in diameter, protruding from the ocean. Piccolo landed next to Gohan and quickly shed his cape and turban. They each placed their dragonballs onto the hot sand.

'_Care to do the honors?'_ Piccolo offered, knowing Gohan had never summoned the dragon himself before.

"By your name I summon thee, arise Shenron!" Gohan called out. The sky darkened and a lightning filled the air as the dragon Shenron once again graced Earth's sky.

"Choose your words wisely mortal. I will grant any two wishes that are within my power." Shenron's deep voice boomed out.

"Shenron, can I describe the wish to you first?" Gohan asked. The dragon growled at him irritably but did not refuse. "Piccolo and I need to be transported to New Namek together. We want to arrive at the same location and it must be several miles away from anyone else on the planet. Is that within your abilities?"

"Yes."

"Okay, that is the only wish we need. After you grant it, can you return into the dragonballs even though we will be gone?"

"For me to do so without you present would take the second wish."

Nodding Gohan turned to Piccolo. Together, the cast a small ki sphere around them in preparation. "Okay Shenron, please grant those two wishes."

Emitting a low growl, Shenron's eyes glowed a sinister blood red. Suddenly Gohan and Piccolo felt a strange sense of disorientation as the world spun away. When the world snapped back into focus, they looked around their new surroundings.

Chi-Chi gasped quietly in shock. They had not expected the dragon to need two wishes to complete the task. The balls were nothing more stone scattered across the Earth now. They could not wish them back for an entire year.

Yamcha shot up suddenly. Looking at his companions, he said anxiously, "We taught the Nameks how to sense ki while they were here. That means the moment the dragon granted the wish, the entire planet's population would be alerted to their presence!"

"Uh-uh," Goten said cheerfully, "Gohan's too smart for that. He and Mr. Piccolo are in a bubble."

Vegeta's eyes narrowed on the chibi. "Brat, do you mean the barrier your brother uses to block ki?"

"Yep Mr. Vegetable, big brother told me about it yesterday!"

Vegeta glared irritably at the boy. He was five years old already; surely, he could say Vegeta instead of Vegetable. Scowling, he pushed the issue to the side. "Did he tell you how it works?"

Goten screwed his face in concentration, before sadly shaking his head.

"Piccolo told me a little bit about it yesterday." Bulma said. "He came over after no one could find them. Apparently the two of them figured out how to form a solid barrier that not only blocks your," she gestured to the Z-Warriors around her, "ability to sense ki, but was also able to fool a scouter."

"How is that even possible?" Tien asked.

Bulma shrugged helplessly, Piccolo had not explained.

"Gohan pulled something similar on that class trip. It was the strangest sensation. I couldn't sense anything around me." Krillin interjected.

"But that's a good thing right?" Chi-Chi asked, desperate for reassurance. "I mean, no one can tell they are there, and they are inside of a protective shield."

Tien crouched down beside her and took her hand. "For now, yes, it sounds as though they are safe. But…" Sighing he looked into her eyes. "If this bubble of theirs is solid, then they will have to drop it at some time."

Chi-Chi inhaled sharply. She knew that, but that didn't make it any easier to hear. Gripping Tien's hand tightly, she turned her attention back to the ball.

'_It is beautiful here, Piccolo.'_

The dragon had transported them to a small island about a mile away from a large landmass. The shaggy blue grass rippled around their feet, teased by the balmy wind. The bright bowl of sky above them a calm pale green with puffy yellow clouds reminiscent of the Nimbus. Gohan felt a shiver work its way up his spine. The serenity of their surroundings felt almost eerie due to the taint he could feel upon the very air.

Piccolo grunted in acknowledgement. New Namek was very similar to the brief glimpse he had gotten of the original planet. He could feel Nail's personality leaping in recognition.

Extending their senses out in opposite directions, they scanned the planet. Piccolo was the first to run across one of the villages. The Namekians' energy felt hazy, almost muddy, nothing like it should have. Everyone in the village had a similar feel; common ki seemed to be linking them.

'_The entire planet is coated in that ki.' _Piccolo growled, baring his fangs.

'_Do you feel that?'_ Gohan pulled Piccolo in a different direction almost half a world away. _'Either most of the population is concentrated there or…'_

'_He's there.'_


	22. Chapter 22

A/N- Good morning all thank you again for all of your reviews, 81 this morning! I am really enjoying reading your thoughts and reactions as the tale progresses.

LatyfeSurLeSora, thank you for pointing my loophole out to me. I debated about putting 6 months instead of the year in, but I just couldn't remember a time when Shenron was able to leave without someone physically present to dismiss him. That was my way of getting around the other loophole.

Disclaimer- I own nothing

Chapter 22

Powering up, Piccolo and Gohan took to the sky, carefully scanning the area for any life. A flight that normally would have taken them an hour stretched into six. Neither wanted Mavoy made aware of their presence just yet. More than once Gohan and Piccolo had to hide, waiting for one of the planet's citizens to pass by.

While waiting in a small cave, they had a chance to observe one of the possessed Namekians. His physical appearance had not been overtly altered; you had to look closely to see it. His dark eyes reflected nothing, no light, no spark of personality, just nothing. They noted the almost mechanical movements of the Namekian, the fluid grace so prevalent in the species absent. Gohan couldn't help but send Piccolo the image of a martinet, held captive by his strings.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Chiaotzu stared into Baba's crystal ball, a frown marring his childlike feature. "Why are there so many Nameks flying around Tien?"

Tien shook his head. It did not make much sense to him either.

"Frieza would send out constant patrols." Vegeta said softly, all eyes were suddenly focused on the Prince. "It was a way of showing us his power, his complete control over everything around him. Even planets that had already been purged, ones that we had already slaughtered the inhabitants, he would send out those ridiculous patrols." Vegeta's hands were fisted at his sides, his back ramrod straight. "Mavoy is merely copying what he saw as a means of showing power, of playing with his subjects."

"Y-you mean he's just treating them like toys?" Videl asked, horrified. While Piccolo and Gohan had slowly made their way across the planet, the Z-Warriors had retrieved the last of their ranks. Master Roshi, 18, Marron, and Videl had joined the vigil around Baba's ball.

Vegeta nodded, not choosing to speak about it anymore.

"That's just sick!" Yamcha exclaimed, staring at macabre scene.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Once they were able to move again, Piccolo slowed their pace, feeling the need to be even more cautious. They were close, maybe a mile or so out from their target. Reaching the edge of a valley just as darkness started to fall, the warriors received their first look at Mavoy. Below them was a small village. Piccolo's face tightened in anger as he watch Moori, the Grand Elder, reduced to serving the man sitting on a large chair.

Though it was hard to judge Mavoy's size accurately from their distance and his position, he seemed to be about Gohan's height. His bulky form was dressed in the traditional armor of Frieza's soldiers. His limbs conformed to that of most humanoids with legs and arms. Unlike the last tyrant to plague the Nameks, he had no tail. His skin was a pale yellow, almost leaning towards orange. Mavoy's head was the strangest thing about him. It was large, almost too big for his body and triangular, much like the triceratops of Earth. His mouth sat low on his face, in the point of the triangle. Traveling up his face, he had a single slit, which was presumably his version of a nose, and like Tien, three eyes.

'_Nail needs to calm down.' _

Piccolo nodded, trying to calm his absorbed personality. Ever since seeing the Elder in that position, Nail's presence had become increasingly violent in his need to protect his people. Finally gaining control over him, Piccolo turned his attention to the sky.

'_It's getting dark.'_

'_I noticed, apparently New Namek actually has a day and night. Do we know the duration?'_

Piccolo searched his memories, seeing if Dende had mentioned anything useful. Coming up empty handed, they considered how best to handle the situation. They were faced with about two dozen Nameks, each one possessed by the monster below.

'_I wonder if he can tell when someone under his power is attacked.'_ Gohan mused, thinking how convenient it would be to knock the innocent villagers out during the night. Then they would be out of the way and safe during the real fight.

'_It's too risky. If he is aware, we will be fighting in the dark.' _Piccolo's mental voice was grim.

Gohan and Piccolo slowly and carefully retreated to a deep cave for the night. Floating together, they picked through and sorted each other's thoughts, trying to come up with the best course of action.

'_You know, we could always take a page out of my father's book and just wing it.'_ Gohan offered lightly.

'_Cute kid, real cute.'_ However, Piccolo had to admit that the idea had merit. They had no way of knowing what Mavoy's third wish entailed. Nor did were they aware of how complete his control was over the Namekian people. Winging it may be their only real option.

'_We attack at dawn?'_ Gohan asked, even though he could see what Piccolo wanted to do. He found talking with his sensei soothing, calming his nerves.

'_Dawn.'_

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"What are they doing?" Chi-Chi asked. Gohan and Piccolo were in a cave, waiting. Shivering she noticed that they looked just as they had this morning, floating in the lotus position, eyes closed. Had that really only been this morning? It felt like years ago.

"They will wait for morning." Master Roshi said calmly, his ever present sunglass reflecting the ball's images. "Attacking a night would be too dangerous."

"Morning? When we were on the original Namek it felt like one long, never ending day." Krillin commented, remembering the trip he had taken with Bulma and Gohan. His mind stuttered as he realized that Gohan had only been five and half on that trip. Looking over at the children playing, he tried to imagine sending Goten out into space, the image wouldn't form.

"New Namek has only one sun instead of three Krillin." Dende offered. "The night lasts for about eight Earth hours this time of year."

"The children need to sleep. Please bring them inside." Mr. Popo's voice seemed to drift to the group. Nodding, Chi-Chi, Bulma, and 18 rounded up the reluctant chibis, and followed the genie into the palace.

"Krillin?" Videl asked quietly. She was wringing her hands in apparent agitation.

"What is it Videl?" Krillin asked gently.

"C-can…well, would it…" Videl gripped her hands tightly together, trying to still the action.

Krillin reached out and placed his own hands over hers. "Take a deep breath, its okay."

Nodding she asked in a rush, "Can you go get my Daddy?"

"Of course he can sweetie." 18 said, as she rejoined the group.

"Really? No one will mind?" Videl asked hopefully. Living with Krillin, 18, and Marron had been wonderful experience. Videl had chosen to see her father a few times in the last couple of weeks. She had been happy to notice that the quality of their time together had felt different. He had actually listened to her. She was not sure she wanted to move back in with him, but she knew she still wanted him in her life.

"Well, I cannot promise that," Krillin said smiling, "But I can and will go get him." Waving a quick farewell, he ran to the edge of the Lookout and dove off.

He returned about 30 minutes later with a very nervous Satan. Videl ran to them and hugged Krillin, thanking him. Taking her father's hand, she pulled him to the opposite end of the Lookout to fill him in.

Krillin rejoined the group. Everyone was congregated around the ball, staring at the still figures reflected in its depths. Mr. Popo had brought out food and Bulma was trying to get Chi-Chi to eat.

Slowly, Videl and her father approached the Z-Warriors. Chi-Chi looked up the uncertain teen and smiled. "Sit down Videl. No one is going to kill your father right now." Hercule paled a bit as everyone else chuckled.

"Krillin what were you talking about earlier? You know about going to Namek. How did you end up on a different planet?" Videl asked as she reached for a bowl of noodles.

Krillin leaned back and smiled. "That is a long story, it all started at this reunion…"

For the next several hours, everyone took turns telling the story of how Raditz had come to the Earth to find Goku, Piccolo taking Gohan into the wild, the fight with the Saiyans, and the flight to Namek. Videl sat wide-eyed, soaking in the story.

Vegeta was surprised listening to Gohan's history. He had always assumed that Kakabrat had something similar to a traditional Saiyan upbringing. Each child was tested at birth and eased into training as soon as walking was achieved. He had not realized the boy had been completely untrained only a year before he had originally met him. He had to admit, however grudgingly, that he was proud of him. Half-breed or not, he was a worthy of his Saiyan ancestry.

"You should have seen those clowns! They kept prancing around and striking these ludicrous poses that always ended with them shouting the Ginyu Force!" Krillin said laughing. "But man, were they tough. This big guy, Recoome, came out and mopped the floor with us. Vegeta and I were completely out of the fight. Then Gohan just laid into him. I swear it was one of the most amazing things I have ever seen! I mean, Gohan maybe came to this guy's knee and he actually managed to hold his own for awhile. Well, until Recoome broke his neck that is."

"You let my baby get his neck broken?" Chi-Chi shouted, charging Krillin.

Realizing his mistake, he ran out of her path, finally flying a few feet into the air. "It's okay Chi-Chi, it was only broken for a little while and then Goku came with a sensu. Really, he was fine!" He said frantically.

Chi-Chi glared at him and sat back down, thinking that she really needed to learn how to fly some time.

Landing on the opposite side of the group, Krillin continued the story. Leading up to everyone but Goku and Frieza being wished to Earth.

"Wait, so Gohan's dad stayed on a planet that was about to blow up? Was he nuts?" Hercule asked. An uncomfortable silence spread through the group. Surprisingly Vegeta was the one that broke it.

"Yes you baka, he stayed as any true Saiyan would and yes, he was nuts." Vegeta affirmed. The tension broke as everyone laughed quietly.

"So what happened next? I mean, you were all here and he was left behind. How did it end?" Videl asked, on the proverbial edge of her seat. Krillin laughed and resumed the tale; leading up to Frieza's landing on Earth, though he skipped the part about a time traveling Trunks. Some things just do not really make sense unless you live them.

"Wait, so you're telling me that Gohan has been fighting his entire life?" Hercule asked, a strange expression on his face. "I mean, all of that happened before Cell. So that means he was in at least four major battles by the time he was what, seven? Eight?"

"Yes." Chi-Chi said proudly.

"I-I-I," pausing, Hercule took a deep breath, and met Chi-Chi's eyes. "I need to make it right, what I did with Cell." He realized that all he had ever managed to do was win one tournament and break some tiles. Listening to the kid's life had made him feel so petty and small in comparison.

Every eye was on him and Videl was quietly crying, proud of him. Chi-chi looked at him closely, trying to sense any deception in his demeanor. Satisfied, she smiled. "We'll get to that later."

As the night wore on, everyone eventually succumbed to sleep. Suddenly Dende woke them; Gohan and Piccolo were moving out.


	23. Chapter 23

Disclaimer- I own nothing

Chapter 23

Gohan and Piccolo crept from their cave just as the sun was beginning to brighten the sky. Retracing their steps from the previous evening, they once again looked down upon the small village. There were ten Nameks standing guard outside a large dwelling. The rest seemed to be inside two of the other houses. Stepping back from the ledge, the two warriors prepared for battle.

Still inside of their sphere, Piccolo powered up about three quarters of the way. It was his job to knock the villagers out before Mavoy could use them. Gohan also powered up, sliding easily into his Ascended form. He would head straight to the main problem. They were taking King Kai's warning very seriously. If this guy was that powerful, they wanted to take him out quickly. Going all out straight from the start seemed the safest approach.

Ready, they charged into the valley, dropping their shield mere inches from the guards. Piccolo instantly took out two of the guards and phased in behind two others before the others even hit the ground. Within seconds, the ground was littered with unconscious bodies. In less than half a minute, Piccolo had moved the guards out of the way. The force of a powerful explosion blew him to the ground.

Jumping to his feet, he raced toward the houses. As he reached for the door on the first house, it suddenly burst open. The Nameks he had hoped to quietly subdue swarmed him. Twisting around, he fought to hit the proper pressure points without permanently injuring the possessed souls. After several moments, bodies once again surrounded him.

Before he could move on to the next house, the Nameks came to him. Teaming up they tried to attack him. Their efforts were in vain. Within a total of five minutes, he had managed to accomplish his goal. All of the Nameks were out and what he hoped to be a safe distance from the fight. Taking to the air, he joined Gohan.

As Piccolo took out the guards, Gohan charged the main building. He could feel Mavoy inside, and he was alone. Taking a familiar stance, he held his hands at hip level, charging a strong Kamehameha. Letting it go, he decimated the house in front of him, leaving only a deep gash in the ground.

Hearing someone clapping he looked up. Mavoy was slowly clapping his hands together, smirking. "My, my, aren't you a rude one?" His voice was irritatingly high pitched, while the tone was mocking, sarcastic. Gohan found himself forcibly reminded of Frieza.

"Let the people of this planet go." Gohan demanded.

"Why should I? They belong to me."

"They belong to no one. I will not allow you to continue to possess them."

"And who are you that I should be so afraid?"

"My name is Gohan, son of Goku."

"Goku, hmm Goku, now why is that name familiar?" Mavoy narrowed his brown eyes.

"Goku defeated Frieza on Namek."

"Oh yes, the Saiyan monkey, Frieza was ever so displeased. You'll find I am far more powerful than that lizard ever claimed to be. But, why waste a potential servant." As the words left his mouth, his third eye began to glow, emitting a red light.

Deciding he had listened long enough, Gohan rushed him and delivered a strong punch to his diaphragm. The force of the blow slammed Mavoy into the ground. Growling, he rose and stared at Gohan.

"How did you do that?" He demanded, angry enough that his voice cracked.

"It's easy; here I'll do it again." Increasing his speed, Gohan again charged Mavoy, intent on finishing the battle quickly. His fist met thin air. Looking over his shoulder he saw his target several meters behind him. Gohan knew what the third wish was now. "You wished for the Instant Transmission technique didn't you?"

Mavoy's eyes narrowed in temper. "What do you know of wishes? And why aren't you bowing before me?"

"You were trying to make me bow? Not going to happen." Gohan's face hardened as he turned to face him.

"How dare you a mere monkey refuse to bow before me? I am destined to be the Supreme Ruler! I shall travel from planet to planet until everyone knows my name! Now, bow!" He demanded; his third eye was again glowing.

"I bow before no one. Besides, what is with all of the incessant talking? Every single time I come against a new foe, talking. Do you go to a class for it? Annoying Battle Banter 101?" Gohan asked, stalling. He could see that Piccolo almost had all of the Nameks out of the way. With Mavoy's unfortunate ability to transport himself, the fight could get ugly.

"Why you ignorant little fool! How dare you? I am Lord Mavoy; everyone will bow before my power!"

"Wow, you must have failed the class huh? Pity." Gohan smirked, Piccolo was done and on his way.

"Why is Gohan baiting him?" Chi-Chi asked. She didn't recognize her son's behavior.

"Isn't it obvious Harpy Woman? He's stalling, waiting for Green Bean." Vegeta stated arrogantly. He was pleased by Gohan's actions. Mavoy had always been a pompous fool with an annoying habit of imitating Frieza, something he had apparently not grown out of.

Piccolo flew up next to Gohan, already in stance. Mavoy did not look happy to see him. Glaring at the Namek, his third eye glowed red. As one Piccolo and Gohan straightened, crossed their arms, and smirked.

"Why won't you bow?" Mavoy screamed.

Without a word, the two went on the offense. Charging up dual Masenko blasts, they attempted to catch Mavoy between them. He transported out of the way at the last moment, reappearing behind them.

'_Do you see what I see Gohan?"_

'_Yep, he tends to transport to the same location. You hit, I'll catch.'_

Piccolo raced to him, throwing a powerful punch at his face. As expected, Mavoy vanished. But through Gohan's eyes he was able to see the satisfying ki blast Gohan had waiting hit its target.

Again and again they set him up, Mavoy was a predictable fighter. However, their hits did not seem to be making any real impact. Suddenly the yellow fighter let out a scream of frustration. His power skyrocketed, putting Cell to shame. Turning on the Earthlings, he went on the offense.

Finally able to actually engage their enemy, Piccolo and Gohan synchronized their attacks. Hitting and punching together, they worked Mavoy over. You would have thought they were giving him a massage for all the good it did.

Laughing at their efforts Mavoy said, "Wow, I almost felt that one."

Angry, Gohan blasted his face, trying to make a dent in his power. Holding a hand to his face, Mavoy cursed him. Gohan was happy to note that two of his eyes looked a bit scorched and were closed.

Growling, Mavoy charged Gohan. The blow knocked him through the air. Before he could recover, Mavoy transported behind and hit him again. He locked Gohan into a vicious cycle that the half-breed was unable to break. Timing his attack carefully, Piccolo fired a Special Beam Cannon, piercing Mavoy's arm.

Gohan flipped in midair, regaining control and equilibrium. Phasing in beside Piccolo, they readied themselves.

"Jeez, this guy is insane. Gohan is in his ascended form and he is playing with him!" Yamcha exclaimed.

"I don't understand. Gohan beat Cell, how is it possible for him to get knocked around like this?" Hercule asked. No one answered, their attention on the ball.

Mavoy stared at his arm; it was oozing dark orange blood; his blood. Hissing through clenched teeth, he glared at his attackers.

'_This isn't working Piccolo.'_

'_I know. His power is immense. We'll tire out long before he does.'_

'_Remember, those robots, with Cooler?'_ Gohan sent Piccolo his memory of the fight, the robots that no one could scratch. It had taken focusing everything into a single location to cause any damage.

'_Concentrated attacks might work, but he needs to stay still.'_

'_Sphere?'_

'_Do it.'_

Their conversation had taken place in the span of a single heartbeat. Together, they once again charged Mavoy. As they did so, Gohan wove a ki sphere, designed to trap Mavoy into a confined space. It would hopefully make his Transmission useless. Reaching him, Gohan flung the sphere outwards. The fight was now restricted to the boundaries of his own creation.

Taking advantage of their proximity, they began to attack one more. Blasting, punching, and kicking, attempting to cause as much damage as possible. Mavoy growled, transporting himself out o the way. Or at least he tried to. Instead he hit the side of the barrier and was forcibly pushed back into the center and straight into Gohan.

Using Piccolo's favored Special Beam Cannon, Gohan attempted to pierce Mavoy's skull. He knew they needed to end this, as it was, the battle had already raged for hours. Mavoy was much stronger than they were and he could feel his sensei's energy falling.

The force of the beam was enough to knock Mavoy's head to the side and leave a deep gouge, but that was all. Glaring at the demi-Saiyan, Mavoy punched him into the ground. The sphere stretched to accommodate Gohan's movements.

Piccolo watched in horror as Mavoy lifted his hand, his fingers glowing as a tremendous amount of energy was gathered. He was going to shoot Gohan. His Gohan! Moving quickly, Piccolo leapt into the blast's path.

'_No Piccolo!' _

The ray had pierced the right side of Piccolo's chest. Gasping for breath, he sank to the ground. Gohan rushed to his side. _'Piccolo?'_ He called tentatively. His sensei didn't answer, the blow had knocked him unconscious. Gohan could feel his pain as his own, the constant thunder in his mind dimmed to a barely audible rumble.

"No Piccolo!" Dende screamed, collapsing to his knees, tears streaming down his face. They were going to die, the moment Piccolo left this dimension both of his dearest friends would die.

Krillin knelt by the young man. "It's okay Dende. Gohan will finish that monster and when the dragonballs recharge, he'll bring Piccolo back."

"No, you don't understand!" Dende cried grief stricken. "When Piccolo dies, so will Gohan. They will both be gone and that thing will still control the dragonballs!"

A shocked silence filled the air. It just couldn't happen, could it?

Mavoy laughed gleefully at the fallen figure before him. "Well, that was fun. And now it's your turn." Charging up a similar ray, he prepared to shoot Gohan as well when a strong wave of energy pinned him against the barrier's wall.

Gohan stood staring at Piccolo. He was not allowed to die. He was not allowed to leave him like that again. Screaming in rage, he reached for that endless well of power that came with his third form. Holding on to it, he forced the energy through himself; condensing it into every muscle, bone, and tendon. Folding it over and over again, arming himself but resisting the transformation.

Mavoy watched in pure horror as the boy in front of him screamed endlessly. He could not move, the shockwaves of power were too strong.

Gohan concentrated on the thunder in his mind, hanging on to that tangible piece of Piccolo. Suddenly his body jerked, unable to contain the power he had forced it to endure. In a final burst of light, Gohan's long hair lost its golden luster, bleaching into a glowing white. His eyes were no longer teal, but an eerily pale blue. As the thunder rumbled through his mind, Gohan became the lightning.

The Z-Warriors watched Gohan in awe. They had never seen a transformation like that. It was so powerful that even Baba's ball was pulsing, a fine network of cracks snaking along its surface.

"Vegeta, what level is that?" Tien asked.

Vegeta shook his head. Whatever Kakabrat had done was beyond even the legends.

Gohan rose into the air, toward Mavoy. His pale eyes a window into his rage. The monster in front of him flinched in response to that gaze. Charging up a blast, Mavoy attempted to hit whatever this new demon before him was.

Growling, Gohan was suddenly behind him. Fisting both hands together, he slammed Mavoy into the ground. Immediately phasing in above him, he blasted him repeatedly, driving him further into the ground as orange blood began to run freely.

Mavoy couldn't move, couldn't breathe. It wasn't fair, he was to be the new Supreme Ruler of the universe! Pushing his rage into a ball of energy, he shoved it at Gohan. He was only able to push the furious boy away by a few inches.

Snarling, Gohan picked Mavoy up, holding him by the tatters of his armor. Swiftly throwing him against the side of sphere, Gohan held one hand up by his head and one by his hip.

"Ma-sen-ko, Ka-me-ha-me…HA!" Gohan forced the two attacks to merge. The mixture of energy became a vibrant cobalt beam.

Trapped in place, Mavoy watched in dismay as the blast approached him. He raised his hands attempting to block, but it was too powerful. Unable to even scream, only the swirling ash served to mark his passing.


	24. Chapter 24

Disclaimer- I own nothing

Chapter 24

On Earth's Lookout, those huddled around Baba's crystal ball had to shield their eyes from the blinding light. Gohan's last attack had been a horrifying display of pure power, a reminder of the beast he kept under control. As the attack raged on, Baba's ball started to vibrate under the intense onslaught of power it was attempting to portray. In a burst of light, it exploded.

"No, no, my baby. What happened? Is he okay?" Chi-Chi asked. Her hand extended towards the space the ball had previously occupied.

"We just have to wait now." Dende said his voice hollow.

Gohan sank to the ground beside Piccolo, his pale eyes frantic. _'Piccolo? Come on, talk to me, grunt, nod, something!'_

Piccolo let out a soft moan, it was not much, but Gohan heard him. Picking him up, Gohan searched for the Elder. There had to be other Namekians like Dende with the ability to heal.

Locking onto the villagers, Gohan landed beside them in a second, frightening the newly conscious Nameks. "Elder Moori, help him! Please you have to fix him!" Gohan said, rushing to the man.

Moori stumbled back from the terrifying warrior in front of him. The man's pale eyes were wild, panicked; his long white hair jutted out behind him in spikes, and his energy was like nothing he had ever felt.

"Moori!" Gohan yelled frantically. Why wasn't he helping? "It's me, Gohan, Goku's son. Please. Piccolo, he is hurt, I cannot let him die! Please, you have to help him!"

Connecting the face with the name, Moori ran forward. "Put him down." He instructed. Gohan growled at him, his grip tightening possessively. "Gohan, I won't hurt him, put him down." Grudgingly, Gohan carefully lowered his friend to the ground. Moori leaned over him, examining the wound.

The thunder in Gohan's mind was dimming, quieting with each passing moment. Suddenly Gohan fell to the ground. He grabbed his head screaming in pain as his link with Piccolo started to shutdown.

"Gohan! What's the matter? Are you hurt?" Moori asked urgently.

"Piccolo…fused…me…" Gohan gasped out, hardly able to speak for the pain.

Moori's eyes widened in realization, if the two were fused, then both could die. Motioning to have the village healers join him, they worked on Piccolo, trying to close the awful hole in his chest. All the while struggling against the outpouring of pure energy and pain the boy was slamming them with.

Gohan was unintentionally releasing waves of energy in his torment. What he had experienced on the Lookout was nothing compared to this. It felt as though someone was trying to rip the very soul from his body. Letting out a final scream of anguish, the darkness engulfed him.

Bulma was trying to hold Chi-Chi back. After Dende had told her to wait, she had finally snapped and turned on the Kami.

"Wait? I am not going to wait! Fix it, now!" She demanded. The rest of the Z-Warriors backed away. No one messed with Chi-Chi; it was an unspoken rule within the group.

"Gohan and Piccolo are alive." King Kai's voice rang out from space above them.

"They are okay then sir?" Dende asked hope blooming in his chest.

"Physically yes, the Namekian healers were able to repair the damage to Piccolo in time but…"

"But what Kai? What's wrong with them?" Vegeta demanded.

"It's King, oh, never mind, no respect. Piccolo was at the brink of death, their souls tried to separate. The sheer trauma of that, I just don't know. I have nothing to compare them to; they are the very first fusion of their kind, ever. We will have to wait for them to wake up, until then…"

"We wait." Krillin said firmly, settling in.

"We wait." Yamcha said nodding.

"We wait." The words echoed throughout the Z-Warriors as they once again held vigil, hoping their friends would pull through.

"Elder Moori, can you hear me?" King Kai called.

"Yes I can hear you, who are you?" Moori asked.

"I am King Kai, the Kai over the Northern Quadrant."

Moori's eyes widened, he had heard the Earthlings talk about the great Kai, but he had never expected to speak with him. "King Kai sir, it is a true honor. How may I help you?"

"Piccolo and Gohan how are they?"

Moori sighed, unsure how to answer. "Physically we have healed their injuries as much as we can. Gohan's appearance changed quite dramatically when he lost consciousness. But we do not know why, or what effect that will have on him."

"How did it change?"

"His hair had been white, now it is black. His eyes also changed from a pale blue to black."

"Oh, that's nothing to worry about, does that all the time." King Kai waved away Gohan's appearance dismissively. "Now, Elder Moori, I need you to try to read their thoughts. Can you do that?"

"Yes sir." Moori crossed the room and came to stand by the large bed upon which both warriors lay. Reaching out with his mind, he attempted to probe the depths of the half-breed's subconscious. Nothing, it felt as though there was a solid wall instead of a mind. Laying a hand on either side of the boy's head, he tried again. This time he was forcefully rejected. Holding a hand to his aching head he said, "I am sorry King Kai, but I cannot penetrate his mind. What does that mean?"

King Kai's relieved laughter answered him.

Four days after the battle with Mavoy, Piccolo opened his eyes. Letting out an involuntary groan of pain, he sat up. Feeling dizzy, he slowed the movement. Looking around he realized he was inside a house of some kind. The walls were white and curved; some vague memory tugged at the edges of his mind. Nail, he realized, Nail recognized the construction as home. That meant they were still on New Namek.

Struggling with his sluggish thoughts, he tried to reach out to Gohan. A slight noise made him look down. Gohan was laying beside him. Pushing at the boy's mind again, he waited for him to wake up.

Gohan slowly floated into consciousness and promptly wished he had not. He hurt, everywhere. As the reason for his pain surfaced, he frantically reached out for Piccolo.

'_Shh, don't shout.'_ Piccolo's mental tone was whisper soft.

Nodding imperceptibly, Gohan relaxed, allowing his eyes to remain closed. _'You're okay.'_ It was a statement.

'_Yeah kid, I'm fine. What happened? The last thing I remember is…'_ The memory of Mavoy about to kill Gohan flashed through his mind with all of the terror and pain that went with it.

'_That blast hit you and you fell. I could hardly hear you, it was awful.'_ Gohan struggled to remember what all had happened directly after that. He slowly recalled concentrating the energy of the third transformation, the strange new appearance he had taken on, Mavoy's death. Then he was in front of Moori, trying to get him to help Piccolo, and then pain and darkness.

'_I thought you weren't going to try to do that.'_ Piccolo said dryly, remembering Gohan's refusal to convert the transformation due to the dangers it posed.

'_Well, I was desperate.' _Gohan said, chuckling softly.

Piccolo shook his head as he lay back down. Exhausted already, they fell back asleep.

"Dende!" King Kai yelled.

"Yes sir?"

"They woke up. Gohan and Piccolo are going to be fine."

The noise on the Lookout was tremendous. No one had been willing to leave, waiting for their friends to wake up. Everyone hugged and cheered, grateful that they would see the two missing Z-Warriors in a few months. As Bulma clung to him, even Vegeta allowed himself to smirk.

"Oh no!" Chi-Chi shouted.

"What's wrong?" Bulma asked, running over to her.

"Gohan's going to be gone for months. I'll actually have to let him graduate early!" she wailed.

Blinking in surprise, Bulma's hands dropped to her sides. No one could ever remember who starting laughing first, but soon everyone was rolling on the floor. It was going to be okay. It was over.

Thank you so much to everyone that has stuck with me. It has been amazing to see your response to my little story. This portion of the tale is complete. I am working on the sequel- Guarding the Light. It is not quite ready to be posted yet. As soon as I am happy with it, I intend to continue with daily chapter updates. I am putting a small preview down below. I hope it intrigues you.

Thank you again.

Terga Dare

Preview to Guarding the Light

The man sneered in disgust at the prone figures before him. How had a Namek and a Saiyan half-breed managed to defeat Mavoy? They appeared to be so weak, helpless. Hearing someone approach, he faded from sight. Listening to the Elder's conversation, he noted King Kai's declaration that the two would recover. Silently, he transported himself away; his master would be interested in their prognosis.


End file.
